Chiefs maintain off Ravens 27-20 when overview overturns a TD on closing play

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and a landing, and the Kansas Metropolis protection saved Lamar Jackson and the Ravens out of the top zone on three heart-stopping performs within the closing seconds, permitting the Chiefs to start the pursuit of a file third straight Tremendous Bowl title with a 27-20 victory over Baltimore on Thursday night time.

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The sport ended with a video overview after Jackson appeared to attach with Isaiah Possible at the back of the top zone with no time remaining for a landing. The video clearly confirmed Possible’s toe touchdown on the endline, although, and the decision was overturned, sending the Chiefs — and superfan Taylor Swift, excessive up in a set — right into a wild celebration.

Xavier Worthy had touchdowns speeding and receiving, and Isiah Pacheco additionally had a TD run for the Chiefs, who not solely gained the rematch of final season’s AFC title recreation however beat the Ravens for the fifth time of their final six conferences.

That lopsided ledger has been particularly irritating for Jackson, who has known as Kansas Metropolis the Ravens’ “kryptonite.” He was chic on Thursday night time, throwing for 273 yards and a landing whereas including 122 yards on the bottom, however a video overview of the ultimate play of the sport left him to rue one other missed probability to lastly upstage Mahomes and Co.

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Jackson gave Baltimore an opportunity, too, after getting the ball again at his personal 13-yard line with 1:50 left and no timeouts.

He accomplished a pair throws to Possible, who completed with 111 yards receiving and a rating, and scrambled on third-and-2 for a primary down. Two performs later, Jackson zipped a go 38 yards to Rashod Bateman down the sideline that moved the Ravens to the Kansas Metropolis 10 with simply 19 seconds to go — loads of time for a couple of photographs on the finish zone.

Jackson’s first go was a throwaway, however his second missed wide-open Zay Flowers at the back of the top zone. Then got here the final throw, after Jackson had scrambled for what appeared like an eternity. Ravens coach John Harbaugh signaled that his group would strive for a successful 2-point conversion, but it surely didn’t get that probability after the video overview.

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The wild ending got here after the beginning was delayed about 20 minutes by a storm that introduced heavy rain and lightning.

The Ravens opened with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended when Derrick Henry, who tormented the Chiefs in six earlier conferences whereas he was with Tennessee, plunged into the top zone from 5 yards out for the early lead.

However the high-octane Chiefs, making an attempt to keep away from shedding their opener in back-to-back years, wanted simply two minutes to provide a solution. Mahomes twice related with Rashee Rice, who has up to now averted any NFL suspension for his function in a street-racing crash in Dallas, earlier than Worthy confirmed why the Chiefs made him their first-round choose with a 21-yard landing run.

After these two drives, the primary half was largely marked by Week 1 blunders.

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Jackson was strip-sacked by Chris Jones deep in his personal territory, resulting in a subject purpose for Kansas Metropolis. Flowers was stopped wanting the first-down marker on fourth-and-3 close to midfield on the Ravens’ subsequent sequence, main to a different subject purpose. And even Justin Tucker, one of many league’s most correct kickers, pulled a 53-yard field-goal try huge left.

The Chiefs weren’t proof against errors. Mahomes was picked off by Roquan Smith on a poor throw late within the first half, resulting in a chip-shot subject purpose that acquired Baltimore — which trailed twice at halftime all of final season — inside 13-10 on the break.

But the Ravens’ incapability to get into the top zone, and swing the momentum their manner, in the end proved expensive.

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The Chiefs opened the second half with an 81-yard landing march to increase their lead. Then, after Jackson had related with Possible on a damaged play for a 49-yard landing throw, Mahomes drove them 70 yards towards the No. 1 scoring protection within the NFL final season for a landing that made it 27-17 with 10 minutes to go.

Tucker made it a one-score recreation together with his subject purpose with 4:54 to go, and Baltimore shortly pressured a punt. However regardless of Jackson’s impassioned play, he was left to trudge off the sector after one other disappointing loss to the Chiefs.

Star-studded crowd

Swift, the 14-time Grammy winner, wasn’t the one star attending the NFL’s opening night time. Quincy Corridor, the Olympic 400-meter champion, was within the crowd together with AC Milan midfielder Christian Pulisic, who will be part of his U.S. teammates Saturday night time for an exhibition towards Canada at close by Youngsters’s Mercy Park.

Accidents

Baltimore: LB Kyle Van Noy left six performs into the second half with an eye fixed harm and didn’t return.

Up subsequent

The Ravens host Las Vegas on Sunday, Sept. 15. The Chiefs get a go to from Cincinnati the identical day.

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