As you may expect, there was a ton of anticipation amongst football fans for Thursday night’s season-opening matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens. And based on entertainment value alone, the game certainly delivered.
The matchup, which is an AFC Championship Game rematch from last season, was close throughout and came down to the final play.
The Ravens and Lamar Jackson had a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession of the game, trailing by seven points with only a few seconds remaining. And it looked like they did just that, as Jackson found tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the endzone as time expired in regulation.
“Chiefs rush four. Lamar, trying to make magic happen. Throwing endzone. Likely, two feet down. Yes! Touchdown! What a play, Isaiah Likely,” said Mike Tirico on the call of the play.
However, the play would be reviewed, with the replay ultimately determining that Likely had a toe out of bounds, resulting in a Chiefs victory.
The game-ending play and review.
Incredible way to open the 2024 NFL season.
“The Chiefs win on opening night… by a toe.” – NBC’s Mike Tirico 🏈📺🎙️🔥 pic.twitter.com/A9B8DyXouh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 6, 2024
As Tirico said on the final call after the replay review, the Chiefs truly won on opening night by a toe. And naturally, fans had plenty to say about the crazy finish.
What an ending football is back pic.twitter.com/t207h2LxPf
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) September 6, 2024
What a game.. what a league.. what a win for the back to back Champs
This season is gonna be awesome.
THANK YOU @NFL
GOODNIGHT
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 6, 2024
WHAT A FINISH
271 more games just like this please*
*minus the officiating pic.twitter.com/SW1a7EZO76
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 6, 2024
Game of inches. Football is king. What a game! pic.twitter.com/bBJZXprhpu
— Packerfan Total Access- Clayton (@packers_access) September 6, 2024
The drama. What a game. I love football so much pic.twitter.com/4JxfxWhLJ5
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) September 6, 2024
Perhaps the most interesting factor of the finish is that if the play did hold up as a touchdown, the Ravens were seemingly planning on going for the win with a two-point conversion. Instead, the Chiefs come away with the win as they start their defense of back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
The overwhelming sentiment here from fans seems to be that they are extremely happy that the NFL is officially back. And we can only hope that the rest of the games throughout the 2024-25 NFL season bring as much entertainment as the first of the year did.
