The Kansas City Chiefs opened up their 2024 season with a home game against the Baltimore Ravens. It was a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship game, which the Chiefs won.
The result was the same on Thursday night. Kansas City came away with a 27-20 victory, literally by half a toe. Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely nearly pulled off an incredible catch as time expired in regulation, but his toe barely touched out of bounds, overturning the play to incomplete.
It was a heartbreaker for Baltimore, but the entire Chiefs team and fan base let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t a perfectly executed game by any means, but they will be happy to get a win over a quality opponent to begin the campaign.
One of the most impactful players in the game for Kansas City was their new weapon on offense. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy, a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, made his presence felt right away.
On his first NFL touch, Worthy showcased his record-setting speed; he broke the combine record for fastest 40-yard dash time. He took a reverse in the first quarter 21 yards to the house for a touchdown.
“Just having him out there, it just opens up stuff,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “You saw when he’s out there, they’re playing shell coverages. It’s getting guys like [Travis Kelce] and it’s getting guys like [Rashee Rice] open underneath, and that’s what’s so great about this offense is we’re able to do all of that, and that’s when we’re at our best.”
Worthy had two receptions in the game, the second of which was another big scoring play. In the fourth quarter, he took advantage of what looked like a blown coverage or miscommunication by the Baltimore defense, securing a 35-yard touchdown.
Usually, young players can be nervous about taking the field for their debut. That wasn’t an issue for Worthy, as his nerves of steel are something the Chiefs loved most about him.
“I feel like nerves aren’t really a thing for me,” Worthy said. “I feel like I come in, and it’s just like being a kid again, playing in the backyard.”
What we saw on Thursday night isn’t even the Kansas City offense in its final form. Free agent signing Marquise Brown is recovering from an injury in training camp and wasn’t in the lineup.
Add him to Worthy, Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce as weapons in the passing game and the Kansas City Chiefs will really be cooking. They have solid depth at wide receiver this season as well with JuJu Smith-Schuster being brought back, Justin Watson and Mecole Hardman.
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