Kansas City Chiefs win by a TOE! Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes avoid huge Baltimore Ravens scare to start the three-peat shot with a victory – as Taylor Swift cheers from the stands
The Kansas City Chiefs started their attempt at a historic third-straight Super Bowl victory with a thrilling 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
The Ravens thought they had tied the game up at 27-27 with zero seconds left on the clock but tight end Isaiah Likely’s toe was deemed to be out of bounds after he caught Lamar Jackson’s pass.
Taylor Swift watched on at Arrowhead Stadium as boyfriend Travis Kelce and his teammates got their season off to the perfect start with a victory over their fierce AFC rivals that could have playoff implications already.
It was also the perfect NFL debut for Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy, who showed off his blistering speed to score two touchdowns.
Jackson produced an inspired performance to keep the Ravens in content but he agonizingly missed a pass to a wide-open Zay Flowers in the end zone before he hit Likely, who was out of bounds, on the following play.
Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs claimed a 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens thought they had tied the game up at 27-27 when they score with 0.0 seconds left
But Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely’s toe was out of bounds, sending the Chiefs fans wild
Taylor Swift made a triumphant return to Arrowhead Stadium, watching with Kelce’s parents
You would not bet against these two teams meeting in the AFC Championship game again on January 26, as they did last season when the Chiefs won in Baltimore and Swift ran onto the field to celebrate with a victorious Kelce.
The singer has become a regular at Chiefs games ever since her relationship with Kelce went public in September 2023. She watched 13 times last season, including the Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.
Taking a break from her smash-hit Eras Tour, the popstar strolled into Arrowhead Stadium around 40 minutes after Kelce on Thursday night and stunned in a Versace denim co-ord and thigh-high red Giuseppe Zanotti boots.
However, the singer decided not to sit with Brittany Mahomes after the singer’s legion of fans begged her to snub the wife of star Chiefs quarterback Patrick because she appeared to endorse Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
As the partners of the Chiefs’ two biggest stars took their seats on the NFL’s opening night, both appeared to be in different suites. It is a marked difference from last season when they were inseparable at games.
Swift took her her usual spot in Kelce’s luxury suite alongside the tight end’s family and friends. She was captured sitting next to both of Kelce’s parents – Ed and Donna – in the first half.
Derrick Henry smashed through the Chiefs defense to score the first touchdown of the season
The speed of Xavier Worthy was too much for the Ravens defense as he burst through to score
Mahomes, meanwhile, was sat with her adorable daughter Sterling Skye in a different suite as she cheered on her husband.
After seven months without football, fans were forced to wait another 20 minutes when a strong but brief storm passed over Arrowhead Stadium, bringing with it torrential rain and lightning.
The Ravens drew first blood with a surgical drive downfield in the opening quarter that showed there’s no lingering effects of last season’s AFC Championship game defeat by the Chiefs.
Their marquee offseason signing Derrick Henry proved why John Harbaugh was desperate to bring him to Baltimore, smashing his way through the Chiefs defense to score the first touchdown of the new season.
But Andy Reid‘s own new recruit tied the game on the Chiefs’ first drive. The speed of Xavier Worthy was too much for the Ravens defense as he burst through a gap to score on his first NFL start.
Patrick Mahomes celebrates as the Chiefs got off to the perfect start to the new NFL season
Two field goals from controversial kicker Harrison Butker gave the Chiefs a 13-7 lead at halftime before they extended their lead in the third quarter when Isiah Pacheco was shoved over the line.
In the first play of the fourth quarter, however, Isaiah Likely caught a pass from Lamar Jackson and burst down the sideline. It looked like Chiefs safety Bryan Cook was primed to make a tackle, but neat footwork from Likely saw him the dodge the tackle and reach the end zone.
The Ravens may have cut the deficit but their efforts were in vein as Mahomes threw a perfect pass to a wide open Worthy, who sprinted in for his second touchdown of a dream NFL debut.
More to follow.