The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens clash on this week’s NFL schedule, and for our Throwback Thursday feature this week we will travel back the short distance to September 5, 2024 for a game between these 2 AFC title contenders. It was the opening week of the season, with the Chiefs celebrating the previous year’s Super Bowl win. The game was a rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship game in which K.C. prevailed 17-10.
Baltimore drew first blood by putting together a drive that culminated in a 7 yard scoring run by bruising back Derrick Henry, but the Chiefs matched that with a bit of trickery, finishing their scoring drive with a 21 yard end around touchdown run by rookie receiver Xavier Worthy. The second quarter was a field goal fest, as the defenses of both clubs stiffened. Harrison Butker kicked a pair of three pointers for the Chiefs, while Justin Tucker ended the half with a 25 yarder for Baltimore. Kansas City upped their lead to 20-10 with the only score of the third quarter, a 1 yard touchdown plunge by Isaiah Pacheco.
The offenses loosened up a bit in the final stanza. Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson, the league’s Most Valuable Player in ’23, cut the Chiefs’ lead to 3 points with a 49 yard TD strike to tight end Isaiah Likely. Kansas City didn’t flinch. Their QB, Patrick Mahomes, led another scoring drive, ending it by using Worthy again, this time with a 35 yard touchdown pass, restoring the team’s 10 point advantage. Tucker booted another field goal to bring the Ravens to a one score deficit at 27-20, and the Baltimore defense regained possession to allow a possible tying touchdown drive. Jackson delivered most of the way and when the Ravens got into the red zone he fired what appeared to be the tying score, to Likely at the back of the end zone. Of course, all scoring plays are automatically reviewed, and in this case the review determined that Likely’s toe was touching the white out of bounds line, nullifying the score and sending the Chiefs to the first of what was to be many close/lucky victories for the season on their way to another Super Bowl appearance.
Isaiah Likely’s toe on the line, negating the tying touchdown