The Chiefs and Ravens' Thursday opening was delayed by 20 minutes due to bad weather, adding to the endless preseason.
Whatever. It was worth waiting for this instant classic.
The Chiefs defeated the Ravens 27–20 in a game that will undoubtedly go down as one of the best of the season. Isaiah Likely caught a pass in the end zone but failed to get both feet in bounds, and Baltimore lost a touchdown on the last play by roughly half a toenail. The Ravens were planning to attempt a two-point shot to steal the game if they had scored.
Isaiah Likely steals the show
probably put up a whopping 9-111-1 line in 12 targets, while Mark Andrews could only muster two short receptions. Throughout the summer, Likely was a fun tight end upside pick, but the main focus was on what he may do in the event that Andrews was injured.
Thursday demonstrated that Likely is a formidable player even in the event that Andrews is down; as a hybrid target, Likely carries TE eligibility and could effectively be Baltimore's number-two wide receiver. Likely has a meagre 25% of rosters in Yahoo leagues; the figure will rise during the waiver run the following week.
Baltimore's offensive line struggles
Three flags for unlawful formation were issued to Baltimore LT Ronnie Stanley by the officiating crew, who used him as an example. There is a new focus in the regulations. However, the blocking remained an issue even when Baltimore aligned itself correctly. In the first half, it promoted a lot of short passes and lessened RB Derrick Henry's impact (13-46-1). When Baltimore plays an inferior opponent—the Raiders in Week 2—Henry's volume will be much safer.
In the end, Lamar Jackson gained confidence (273 passing yards, 122 rushing yards), but Zay Flowers (6-37-0) had a far better day; on the game's penultimate play, Jackson missed Flowers for an easy touchdown. A tire kick is in order for Justice Hill, who was used for an unexpected six catches, when deeper leagues run their next waivers.
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