The NFL season for 2024 kicked off on Thursday night with the Kansas City Chiefs, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions, defeating the Baltimore Ravens 27-20. This game was a rematch of last year’s AFC championship and marked the first match in this season’s total of 272 games.

The game was a tense battle right up to the finish, showcasing some of the league’s biggest stars alongside emerging talents. This victory could prove crucial for playoff positioning, as Kansas City now holds a potentially significant head-to-head tiebreaker that could lead to a playoff rematch at their home field, Arrowhead Stadium.

In short? It’s just the beginning of the season. However, as usual, there are clear winners and losers beyond just the score:

WINNERS

Chiefs

Their pursuit of a historic three-peat to win the Super Bowl has gotten off to a strong start, especially after last year’s disappointing loss in the season opener against the Detroit Lions. Although three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes didn’t shine as brightly as usual, it’s evident that this Chiefs offense looks more formidable than in previous seasons. Up next? They have ten days to rest and prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals visiting Arrowhead in Week 2.

Matt Araiza

After a two-year gap caused by a serious accusation during his time at San Diego State, he made his debut with Kansas City. The highly-touted sixth-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2022, known as the “Punt God,” averaged 48 yards on three kicks, with his final punt pinning Baltimore deep in its own territory in the closing minutes of the game.

Rashee Rice

The Chiefs’ star wide receiver faces some of his own legal challenges following a controversial offseason after a standout rookie season. Rice may face NFL penalties due to his involvement in a six-car accident in Dallas, where he was caught driving a Lamborghini at nearly 120 mph this past April, according to law enforcement. Facing charges including aggravated assault, he still managed to lead the team with seven receptions for 103 yards while the league typically waits for legal proceedings to conclude before issuing suspensions.

Taylor Swift

The pop icon extended her personal winning streak to six games for the Chiefs she has attended, all while cheering for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

Isaiah Likely’s Fantasy Owners

After a promising 2023 season as a key player for the Ravens in place of the injured Mark Andrews, the second-year tight end is positioning himself as QB Lamar Jackson’s go-to target. Likely made a significant impact with a 49-yard touchdown catch-and-run, recording a game-leading nine receptions and a career-high 111 receiving yards.

Chiefs’ New Addition

WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City’s first-round draft pick who set a combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, made an impressive debut in the regular season, scoring touchdowns on both a 21-yard run and a game-clinching 35-yard reception from Mahomes in the final quarter. There’s no doubt that Worthy will be a formidable presence, especially once veteran Hollywood Brown returns to the lineup.

Lamar Jackson

He produced 395 yards of offense, including leading all players with 122 rushing yards. While it wasn’t a winning performance, it could still help him build a case for a potential third league MVP award down the line.

LOSERS

Lamar Jackson

His fumble allowed Kansas City to score a field goal in the second quarter. Even more frustrating, Jackson missed a clear opportunity to hit Zay Flowers for a touchdown on a pivotal play, remarking that he should have taken more time to focus before throwing the ball. With this loss, Jackson’s record against Mahomes fell to 1-5.

Ravens’ New Acquisition

Baltimore’s big offseason signing, RB Derrick Henry, ended the game with 46 yards on 13 carries, scoring a touchdown on the opening drive. However, he seemed to vanish for stretches of the game, and there are ongoing questions about how his powerful running style will fit with Jackson’s agility, although Henry’s presence could create opportunities for Jackson on the ground.

Isaiah Likely’s Fantasy Owners

Those who owned Likely in fantasy leagues likely felt frustrated when his toe grazed the back line of the end zone on the final play, nullifying a 10-yard touchdown that could have given the Ravens (and possibly fantasy owners) a victory – especially since coach John Harbaugh hinted at trying for a two-point conversion for the win or at least to force overtime.

Mark Andrews’ Fantasy Owners

With just two catches for 14 yards, Andrews didn’t deliver much value. Apologies to those affected.

Fantasy Owners of Travis Kelce

(This is unrelated to Swift.) For those who support Kelce, he recorded three receptions for a total of 34 yards.

Justin Tucker

He could be one of the few kickers to make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, after making just 1 out of 5 field-goal tries beyond 50 yards this season, he missed a 53-yarder on Thursday.

Harrison Butker

The kicker for the Chiefs has been struggling elsewhere, but that’s a separate issue.

Baltimore’s Offensive Line

This group is integrating three new starters and coping with the unexpected loss of coach Joe D’Alessandris, but things could have been worse. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much room for Henry to run. Jackson faced pressure from All-Pro DT Chris Jones leading to a fumble after rookie RT Roger Rosengarten came into play. On top of that, there were four illegal formation penalties, three of which were attributed to LT Ronnie Stanley. Not ideal.

Chiefs Defense

This unit, which ranked second last year, was overwhelmed, giving up 452 yards – significantly more than the 382 yards it allowed in any of its 21 games during the 2023 season. Kansas City also found it difficult to stop Baltimore on third down, allowing them to convert on 7 of their 14 attempts.

‘Dynamic Kickoff’ Rule

This new, notable rule inspired by the XFL was intended to revive the kickoff play … but hasn’t made much impact yet. There were 11 kickoffs in Thursday’s game, but only two of those resulted in memorable returns, indicating that most teams prefer touchbacks starting drives at their own 30-yard line over risking game-changing runbacks.

***

Stay updated by following YSL News Sports’ Nate Davis on X, previously known as Twitter, @ByNateDavis.