Chiefs beat Ravens. Three takeaways.
- Lewis Green
- Sep 6, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 4, 2024
On Thursday, September fifth history repeated itself as the Kansas City Chiefs toppled the Baltimore Ravens in a 27-20 thriller which came down to the final seconds.
Takeaway one: AFC QB's just cant get the best of Mahomes.
The 2024 season opener improved last season's superbowl MVP to 5-1 against Lamar Jackson, with Patrick Mahomes only loss against Jackson coming in a close game during the 2021 season in which a late Clyde Edwards-Helaire fumble cost Kansas City what should've been a routine victory. Having also come up short in last season's AFC title game it seem's Lamar just can't beat number fifteen, much like a certain team located in Western New York. Yes, of course we are reffering to the Buffalo Bills, whose annual loss agaisnt the Kansas City Chiefs in the post season has almost become tradition. Despite Bills quarterback Josh Allen playing three near perfect games, Buffalo are 0-3 against Mahomes' Chiefs in the playoffs with the best of the duels being the infamous "13 second game." The only active quarterback to beat Mahomes in the postseason so far during his six year career being Joe Burrow and his Cinncinatti Bengals whom the Chiefs defeated in a close game at Arrowhead in 2023 before eventually hoisting the Lombardi in Arizona. While new challenger CJ Stroud, awaits, it is tough to see this Chiefs team falling to anyone right now.
Takeaway two: The Kansas City Chiefs offence is back.
Last season, much scrutiny was, rightly so thrust upon Mahomes and his pass catchers. Doomers assured us that Travis Kelce was finished, and that his production would never reach close to the heights his career had known previously. while the jury was out on Kelce's level until the postseason rolled around, it didn't take long for even the most casual football fan to realise that Kansas City had a HUGE problem at wide reciever. To be specific, about 50 minutes into the season opener against Detroit, most of Chiefs kingdom knew that the offseason proclaimed WR1, Kadarious Toney's contribution was going to be closer to that of an extra nickel back on the field for the defence than a reliable pass catcher. Pair this with skyy Moore's faltering development, and first team all training camp reciever Justyn Ross unable to bring his st Joe's form to Arrowhead it's probably fair to dub the Chiefs eventual superbowl victory last season nothing short of a miracle.
All this to say that, watching sophmore Rashee Rice catch 7 balls for 103 yard's and rookie Xavier Worthy scoring twice with 68 all purpose yards was quite refreshing. along with the prospect of adding newly acquired wide-out Hollywood Brown back into the mix over the next couple of weeks, I feel confident in the Chiefs ability to throw the ball down field aggresievly this season, much in contrast to 2023 where they struggled mightily to create anything explosive. if Kansas City can stay injury free, protect Mahomes and play defence at seventy-percent of the capacity they did last season, I like their chances to three-peat.
Takeaway three: Kingsley Suamataia can play ball.
Subject of much discussion through last season and into the offseason pertained to who was going to be KC's long term left tackle to protect their all world quarterback. the consensus seemed to agree that trading up in the 2024 NFL draft to pick one of the top offensive line prospects was the best solution. Many admired Amarius Mims out of Georgia, or Jordan Morgan from Arizona. Though, seemingly unfortunatleyat the time, when the Chiefs moved up to the 28th selection these players were gone, leading to Brett Veach and the front office deciding to take Xavier Worthy. The wide reciever out of Texas, Worthy, reportedly enamoured the Chiefs coaching staff, whom after running a record braking 4.21 40 yard dash at the NFL combine last March believed the speedy playmaker would be gone long before the Chiefs could pick.
Having to show great patience, Veach waited until pick 63, where he moved up with San Fransico to select BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia. An athletic, 'traitsy' player, many were unsure if Kingsley would be ready to start week the season, with some even calling for the Chiefs to sign injury prone vets, David Bhaktari and Donovan Smith. Not only did the rookie tackle beat out sophmore Wanya Morris, but started against the Ravens on Thursday night football with a stellar performance protecting Patrick Mahomes' blind side. His athletic ability evidenced on Xavier Worthy's rushing touchdown, in which he pulled and got 20 feet downfied and to the opposite hash in a hurry setting up a pivotal block allowing worthy to get into the endzone. If Kingsley can keep this level up, and even improve as many young lineman do, we could be talking about the steal of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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