The Kansas City Chiefs began their bid for a historic third straight Super Bowl victory with a thrilling 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
The Ravens thought they had tied the game 27-27 with zero seconds left on the clock, but tight end Isaiah Likely’s foot was ruled out of bounds after he caught Lamar Jackson’s pass.
Taylor Swift watched at Arrowhead Stadium as her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his teammates started the season in perfect fashion with a win over their fierce AFC rivals that could already have playoff implications.
It was also the perfect NFL debut for Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy, who showed off his blistering speed to score two touchdowns.
Jackson had an inspired performance to keep the Ravens happy, but he painfully missed a pass to Zay Flowers, who was completely uncovered in the end zone, before hitting Likely, who was out of bounds, on the next play.
Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs earned a 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens thought they had tied the game 27-27 when they scored with 0.0 seconds remaining.
But Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely’s foot was out of bounds, sending Chiefs fans into a frenzy.
Taylor Swift made a triumphant return to Arrowhead Stadium, watching with Kelce’s parents
You wouldn’t bet against these two teams meeting again in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 26, as they did last season when the Chiefs won in Baltimore and Swift ran onto the field to celebrate with a victorious Kelce.
The singer has become a regular at Chiefs games since her relationship with Kelce went public in September 2023. She watched the games 13 times last season, including the Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.
Taking a break from her successful Eras Tour, the pop star arrived at Arrowhead Stadium about 40 minutes after Kelce on Thursday night and dazzled in a Versace jeans and red Giuseppe Zanotti thigh-high boots ensemble.
However, the singer decided not to sit down with Brittany Mahomes. after the singer’s legion of fans begged her to snub the wife of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick because he appeared to endorse Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
When the spouses of the Chiefs’ two biggest stars took their seats on opening night, they appeared to be in different suites. It’s a marked difference from last season, when they were inseparable at games.
Swift took her usual spot in Kelce’s luxury suite alongside the tight end’s family and friends. She was snapped sitting next to Kelce’s parents, Ed and Donna, in the first half.
Derrick Henry drove through the Chiefs defense to score his first touchdown of the season.
Xavier Worthy’s speed was too much for the Ravens defense as he forced his way through for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Mahomes sat with her adorable daughter Sterling Skye in a different suite as she cheered on her husband.
After seven months without football, fans were forced to wait another 20 minutes when a strong but brief storm passed over Arrowhead Stadium, bringing with it torrential rain and lightning.
The Ravens drew first blood with a series of surgical plays in the first quarter that showed there were no lingering effects from last season’s loss in the AFC Championship Game to the Chiefs.
Their star offseason signing, Derrick Henry, showed why John Harbaugh was desperate to bring him to Baltimore, blasting his way through the Chiefs’ defense to score the first touchdown of the new season.
But new recruit Andy Reid tied the game on the Chiefs’ opening drive. Xavier Worthy’s speed was too much for the Ravens’ defense as he burst through a hole for a touchdown in his first NFL start.
Patrick Mahomes celebrates perfect start to new NFL season for Chiefs
Two field goals by controversial kicker Harrison Butker gave the Chiefs a 13-7 halftime lead before extending their lead in the third quarter when Isiah Pacheco was pushed over the line.
However, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Isaiah Likely caught a pass from Lamar Jackson and ran down the sideline. It looked like Chiefs safety Bryan Cook was ready to make a tackle, but some good footwork from Likely allowed him to get around the tackle and into the end zone.
The Ravens may have cut the deficit, but their efforts were in vain as Mahomes threw a perfect pass to a wide-open Worthy, who ran for his second touchdown in a dream NFL debut.
We will continue to report more.