In a monumental game between AFC contenders that got off to slow starts to the season, the Kansas City Chiefs blew out the Baltimore Ravens, 37-20, in a game that wasn't as close as the final score. The Chiefs, who started the season with consecutive losses, improved to 2-2 and dropped the Ravens to a disappointing 1-3 in the process.
The Chiefs offense was the big story in this one, as Kansas City piled up 380 yards and scored 30-plus points in a regular-season game for the first time since Week 12 of last season. The Chiefs scored on seven of their first eight possessions of the game, totaling four touchdowns and three field goals, with the only drive that didn't result in points having ended on a missed field goal. They didn't punt until there were fewer than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, when the game was fully in hand.
Patrick Mahomes threw for four touchdowns in this game -- one each to JuJu Smith-Schuster, Isiah Pacheco, Tyquan Thornton and Hollywood Brown. It was his first four-touchdown game since October 2023. The second toss to Pacheco was also the 250th of his career, making him the youngest and fastest player to ever reach that mark, breaking the record held by the great Dan Marino.
The return of speedster Xavier Worthy opened things up for the entire offense, and the difference his speed made in clearing things out for everyone else was palpable. Worthy himself made several big plays, totaling five catches for 83 yards and also taking an end-around hand-off for a 35-yard gain. This looked like the offense that Kansas City likely envisioned having coming into the season.
The other story of the game was injuries on the Ravens' side. Baltimore came into the game banged up on defense, with four starters missing the game due to injury. In the first half, the Ravens lost two more defensive starters as both Marlon Humphrey and Roquan Smith left the game with lower-body injuries, while they also saw left tackle Ronnie Stanley leave the game. Late in the blowout, cornerback Nate Wiggins also sustained an injury while trying to make a tackle. That made for seven defensive players and the starting left tackle out of the lineup.
Making matters even worse, Lamar Jackson left the game with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Cooper Rush for the fourth quarter. Jackson had already played his worst game of the young season, throwing an early interception against an all-out blitz and fumbling the ball after running into his own offensive lineman while trying to scramble up the middle. If the injury keeps him out of any future games, though, it could throw the Ravens' season into even further disarray.
Kansas City desperately needed this type of offensive performance after the way the first few weeks of the season went. As we explored last week, it felt like the Chiefs' passing game was operating in a box all year long. Worthy's return changed that. He got going early with a deep ball up the right sideline and things just felt so much looser all game long.
Mahomes played as freely as we've seen him play all season, and he was repeatedly connecting with not just Worthy, but all of his underneath receivers. He looked confident behind an offensive line that was giving him a ton of time against Baltimore's depleted defensive front, and he was firing bullets into the end zone.
Kansas City's run game also got going in this one, with the backs and receivers combining for 116 yards on 26 carries. Worthy had the longest run of the game with a 35-yard scamper on an end-around but Isiah Pacheco also had the first explosive run of the season by a Chiefs running back, so that was nice to see.
Baltimore is in significant danger of seeing its season slip away soon.
The Ravens were decimated by injuries coming into the game already, with Nnamdi Madubuike and Broderick Washington on injured reserve and Kyle Van Noy and Travis Jones out for the game. To then lose three more defensive starters (cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins, plus linebacker Roquan Smith) is absolutely brutal.
The defense cannot get stops, either. It has given up at least 322 yards to each opponent, and allowed every non-Browns opponent to score at least 37 points. The Ravens haven't forced any of those non-Browns opponents to turn the ball over, and they've yielded at least 24 first downs to each of them as well. The Ravens usually play their way into shape on defense over the course of the season as they zero in on the best way to utilize their personnel, but things are looking particularly bleak at the moment.
Adding insult to injury are the issues on offense. If Lamar Jackson has to miss any time at all, the Ravens are in deep trouble. And they could even be in trouble if Ronnie Stanley has to miss time, even if Jackson is able to play next week. They are extremely depleted on both sides of the ball at the moment.
Worse yet, they're two games back of the lead in the AFC North. The Steelers captured improved to 3-1 on Sunday with their win over the Vikings in Dublin, so dropping to 1-3 put the Ravens far behind the eight ball when it comes to making a run at the division crown. And with three losses already, it's going to be difficult to storm back for a wild card spot.
With this game, Andy Reid became the first coach ever to coach 200-plus regular-season games with two different franchises. He coached 224 games with the Eagles, going 130-93-1 across his 14 seasons in Philadelphia. And he's now coached 200 games with the Chiefs, going 145-55 across his now 12-plus seasons in Kansas City. He was already the only coach to win 100 or more games with two different teams.
Kansas City is 2-2 and now just a game behind the Chargers (who have a game in hand thanks to their Week 1 win over the Chiefs) in the AFC West race after L.A. surprisingly lost to the Giants on Sunday. The Chiefs travel to Jacksonville to take on the 3-1 Jaguars next Monday night, then return home for a "Sunday Night Football" showdown against the Lions.
Baltimore is 1-3 and as mentioned, in significant danger at the moment. The Ravens have a tough matchup against the Texans defense coming up next week. but they at least get to play each of their next three games at home: against Houston, the Rams and the Bears. They need to start stacking wins, and do so quickly.
Kansas City improves to 2-2, capturing its second consecutive victory after starting the season with back-to-back losses. The Ravens, meanwhile, drop to 1-3 and could be in the danger zone if Lamar Jackson's hamstring injury is serious.
It's his second touchdown of the game. This time it's a 71-yard romp up the right sideline.
Kansas City scored on seven of its first eight possessions of the game, with the only non-score being a missed field goal. The Chiefs just punted for the first time, with fewer than four minutes remaining in a blowout victory.
Patrick Mahomes' day is done. He finishes 25 of 37 for 270 yards and four touchdown passes.
Andy Reid is the first coach in NFL history to coach at least 200 games with two different teams. He coached 224 games with the Eagles, while this was his 200th with the Chiefs. He is 275-148-1 all-time, with 130 victories in Philadelphia and 145 in Kansas City.
Mahomes' fourth touchdown pass of the day goes to a fourth different receiver, this time to Hollywood Brown. The Chiefs went for it on fourth-and-1 and rolled Mahomes out to the right, where he found a wide-open Hollywood for the score. This is the Chiefs' best offensive performance in quite some time.
After Derrick Henry was stuffed on a third-and-1 rushing attempt, Rush just straight up threw the ball away on fourth down. Chiefs are set up with terrific field position to try to extend their lead once again.
Jackson doesn't have his helmet on and was being tended to by trainers on the sideline. He has a hamstring injury and is QUESTIONABLE to return. Backup Cooper Rush is in.
Kansas City has yet to punt in this game after adding yet another Harrison Butker field goal on its latest drive. The only Chiefs possession to not result in points was Butker's missed field goal. The Ravens need to get their offense into gear quickly to make a comeback from three scores down.
Neither Marlon Humphrey (calf) nor Roquan Smith (hamstring) will return to this game due to their injuries.
Tony Romo keeps pointing this out on the broadcast, but this is the second time the Ravens have been stopped in an "and-short" opportunity when they did not have Derrick Henry on the field. They ended up settling for a field goal to cut the lead to 14 points, rather than being able to come away with a touchdown.
That was a fast scoring drive by Kansas City, which went down the field for a touchdown in just 3 minutes and 9 seconds. Tyquan Thornton wound up open in the middle of the end zone and Mahomes fired a bullet over the top of a linebacker and in before the closing safety. Chiefs' lead is back to three scores.
Baltimore's defensive line is getting handled up front right now. With so many injuries to the opposing side, the Chiefs are getting push in the run game and keeping Mahomes upright when he drops back to pass.
With just 26 seconds remaining in the half, Lamar Jackson engineered the Ravens into field goal range for Tyler Loop after Harrison Butker's own field goal attempt hooked wide to the left. That was Baltimore's first score since its opening drive of the game. Chiefs lead 20-10 at the break and get the ball coming out for the second half.
The Ravens keep shooting themselves in the foot. This is Lamar Jackson's second turnover of the game after he didn't have any through the first three weeks of the season. He ran into his own man and dropped the ball. (And as we know, Derrick Henry had already lost a fumble in each of the first three games.)
The Pacheco TD was the 250th touchdown pass of Patrick Mahomes' career. He broke Dan Marino's record as the youngest player ever to reach 250 passing scores.
Kansas City has now capitalized on back-to-back red zone trips with touchdowns after kicking field goals on its first two possessions. This time it's Isiah Pacheco in the flat for a score to push the lead to double digits.
Marlon Humphrey and Roquan Smith are both QUESTIONABLE to return. Injuries piling up for this Baltimore defense.
Without Derrick Henry not in the game on fourth-and-1, the Chiefs again brought the house in an important spot and Lamar simply had to throw the ball away. Kansas City is set up with great field position and can look to extend its lead to two scores here.
Really nice job by Patrick Mahomes to fire the ball into a tight window. He found JuJu right between two defenders in the front of the end zone. The ball got through the window so quickly that the defenders crashed into each other while the ball wound up in JuJu's hands. KC's first red-zone touchdown of the game puts the Chiefs in the lead for the first time.
Xavier Worthy already had a big catch down the field and now he's got a big run on an end around. The Chiefs have desperately needed the kinds of explosive plays in their offense, and he's providing them early on.
The crowd might be affecting Baltimore's offense here. The Ravens took two delay-of-game penalties within three snaps. After an intentional grounding call on Lamar Jackson and then a give-up screen on third down, Baltimore punts it back to the Chiefs.
Kansas City is now 0-2 on red-zone opportunities in this game. The Chiefs got first-and-goal from the 5-yard line but had a shovel pass blown up on first down and then Mahomes had to throw the ball away on second and third because nobody was open. Ravens lead is now 7-6 as the Chiefs turned the Lamar Jackson pick into three points.
This is why Kansas City needs Xavier Worthy on the field. He has the type of speed to create open passes down the field, rather than the type of contested ones that the Chiefs have been throwing so far this year. Really nice throw and catch by Mahomes and Worthy.
