On September 19th 2021, the Baltimore Ravens upset the Kansas City Chiefs for a huge 36-35 victory. This game was full of huge plays on offense and a couple plays on defense that really turned the tide of the game. Coming in, the Chiefs were 1-0 because of a huge comeback win in front of their home crowd against the Cleveland Browns, beating them 29-33. This game was controlled by the Browns in the first half, but a great second half full of fantastic plays from QB Patrick Mahomes to WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce led the Chiefs to their victory against a contender in the Browns. The huge flaw for the Chiefs during this game was the defense’s inability to stop the Browns running and passing game, which almost cost them the game. Now, the Baltimore Ravens were 0-1 coming in because of a deflating 27-33 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on MNF in Vegas. In this game, the Ravens had a great chance to win the game in overtime after intercepting Raiders QB Derek Carr on a tipped ball, but on 3rd and 7 on their own 33, Lamar Jackson fumbles the ball for the second time, leading to a Raiders recovery and a huge 31 yard walk off TD from Derek Carr to WR Zay Jones. This demoralizing loss leads to most of America believing that Mahomes and the Chiefs will roll straight into Baltimore and defeat the Ravens like they always do. In recent years, the rivalry between the Chiefs and the Ravens has been super one-sided, with Patrick Mahomes taking all three matchups up to this point against Lamar Jackson between these two star quarterbacks.

Now, after the Sunday Night Football Anthem has played, and Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth have introduced the matchup, Week 2 of SNF kicks off. In the 1st Quarter, the Ravens receive the ball first and get ready for an offensive showdown. After very little offensive production, the Ravens are immediately left with a 3rd and 8 on their own 28 yard line, which Lamar Jackson proceeds to try and get the football to WR Sammy Watkins, until Watkins slips and the pass is picked off by the Honey Badger Tyrann Mathieu, who returns the ball 34 yards all the way to the endzone for a Pick 6 and extra point made by their kicker Harrison Butker to get a quick and easy 7 points on the board. The Ravens now have to respond as soon as possible with the Chiefs already up on them with not even a minute gone in game time. Baltimore then proceeds to lean on Lamar Jackson, as he throws a good pass to WR Marquise Brown for 11 yards and the Ravens running backs start to get going with RB Ty’Son Williams rushing for 12 yards and RB Devonta Freeman rushing for a huge 31 yard gain to the Chiefs 10. With Baltimore in scoring position, Lamar Jackson hands it off to Williams, until he fumbles the ball trying to get into the endzone! The ball is flying through the air before WR Devin Duvernay is able to catch the ball and run the rest of the way in for a TOUCHDOWN and extra point made by their fantastic kicker Justin Tucker, to tie up the game 7-7. With the Chiefs defense stumbling, Patrick Mahomes gets the ball for the first time. First, Mahomes throws to WR Mecole Hardman for 6 yards to get the drive going. The Chiefs then come up with a huge pass to Mecole Hardman for 19 yards, before he’s tackled just before the 50. Patrick Mahomes continues to roll as the Chiefs get a nice gain through the air on a reception by TE Travis Kelce on 3rd down. The Chiefs looking to take a shot to the endzone snap it to Patrick Mahomes, he loads up, and finds WR Demarcus Robinson for a huge 33 yard TOUCHDOWN pass as the Chiefs regain the lead, Chiefs 14 Ravens 7. The Ravens once again down get the ball and start to go on a rampage. Jackson gets a quick 17 yard completion to WR Marquise Brown to get down to their own 42. They then a few plays later snap the ball and the running back himself QB Lamar Jackson runs out to the right sideline for a 9 yard gain to get within the KC 40. A few decent plays later, the Ravens are at the Chiefs 28 after a loss on 2nd down, Lamar Jackson gets the ball and looks to throw, he finds Marquise Brown and throws the ball. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Lamar Jackson doesn’t see Tyrann Mathieu lurking in that area, leading to the pass being intercepted and ending the Ravens great drive with a very disappointing play. Good thing for Baltimore, the Ravens are able to get pressure on Patrick Mahomes and force a punt after getting an intentional grounding call on Mahomes to end the 1st Quarter.

To start the 2nd Quarter, Baltimore starts with the ball down 7. Lamar and the offense proceed to go three and out before giving it back to the Chiefs, who then immediately have to punt it away for the second straight time to give the Ravens another chance with under 9 minutes left to go in the 1st Half. Lamar Jackson immediately gets the drive going with a big 21 yard run to give them a great setup for the future plays on the drive. After that, Lamar on 2nd and 7 looks to throw and finds his reliable target Marquise Brown for 20 yards to get all the way down to the Kansas City 28! Lamar Jackson starts to heat up, as he finds RB Ty’Son Williams for some decent 9 and 7 yard advancements to set up 1st and Goal for Baltimore. The Ravens run the ball with Latavius Murray straight through the Chiefs defense for a TD to tie up the game again at 14. The Chiefs offense receives the ball again and look to not punt for the third straight drive, but they don’t have much time left to work with. The Chiefs try to get their run game going against the Baltimore line with a 9 yard run by RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. A couple plays later, they continue to advance the ball with good receptions by TE Travis Kelce for 14 yards and after forcing a Baltimore timeout, getting a 20 yard reception by TE Blake Bell to get in scoring position at the Ravens 20. After another Ravens timeout because of trying to save time for their offense, the Chiefs offense using their running backs for the final part of the drive convert on a 1st and Goal play by Darrel Williams, as he runs behind his offensive line for a TOUCHDOWN, perfectly executing a quick drive to extend the lead again, Chiefs 21 Ravens 14. With less than a minute left in game time, Baltimore’s offense looks to see if they can score any more points before halftime. They start it off with a quick 11 yard catch by WR Sammy Watkins. Then, after a hurtful holding penalty committed by Ravens offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva, the Ravens have to move back to their own 21. The Ravens don’t quit, as a completed pass to Ty’Son Williams for 20 yards and a quick reception by TE Mark Andrews for 12 yards has them in Justin Tucker’s field goal range. The Ravens continue to get everything they desire on this drive with a big reception that has them ready to kick the field goal at the Chiefs 25 yard line. Justin Tucker doesn’t disappoint, as he ends the Ravens amazing drive with a 43 yard field goal to pull closer to the Chiefs lead, 21-17 Chiefs. This drive leads to a punt with three seconds left on the clock that the Chiefs do nothing with, so this offensive showdown will be on hold for a little bit as halftime starts.

After halftime ends, the Chiefs start with the football. Kansas City’s offense starts off decently with some minimal yards on simple plays, but they are very effective plays. These plays lead them to a 2nd and 4 on the Baltimore 40, where Patrick Mahomes proceeds to find WR Byron Pringle for an easy 40 yard receiving TD to open up the second half. The Ravens offense now down 28-17 look to come up big to get back in the game. Lamar Jackson ready for battle, finds his main man Marquise “Hollywood” Brown for a 27 yard gain and later finds Mark Andrews for 20 yards before being pushed out of bounds. The Ravens in a rhythm, snap the ball to Jackson, he’s under pressure once again as the Chiefs try to bring him down, so Lamar has to try to get the ball out with many defenders in his way, and replicating the pass Derrick Henry did to the Ravens in the 2019 AFC Divisional Round loss to the Titans, Lamar Jackson leaps into the air, and probably throwing his best ball of his career, finds Marquise Brown, who runs straight past the Chiefs secondary for a TOUCHDOWN to pull once again right back into the game with the score now being 28-24 Chiefs. With a huge drive by Baltimore making the game close again, Kansas City gets the ball back, needing a drive with points. Mahomes starts off the drive by finally finding Tyreek Hill for a 15 yard gain, after the Baltimore secondary had played lockdown defense on Tyreek all night. With the run game inexistent for the Chiefs, they continue to use Patrick’s arm to drive down the field. One key break on the drive for the Chiefs offense was a 3rd and 4 play that Mahomes tried to pick up using his legs, but was just short. Fortunately for KC, the Ravens had a defensive penalty called on Marlon Humphrey that gave the Chiefs new life with a 1st down at Baltimore’s 46! The Chiefs would go on to find TE Travis Kelce open on a crossing route, where Kelce would work his way down the field, weaving and dodging between Baltimore defenders all the way to the endzone for a TD to put themselves in a comfortable position, up 35-24. The Chiefs once again receive the ball, but this time with their defense coming up big on the last drive by ending the straight scoring streak of both teams by forcing a Ravens punt. Kansas City, now looking to put the game out of reach, start the drive. This drive did not go to play. Two plays for basically nothing left the offense in a 3rd and 12 situation. The Chiefs snap the ball, Mahomes looks to throw, but he’s under pressure from the Ravens! This pressure ultimately was the decider, as Patrick Mahomes throws a wobbling ball out of his hands and right into the hands of Ravens defender Tavon Young for an interception, officially ending his stat of having no interceptions in the month of September. With Baltimore’s defense finally coming up huge for the offense, they need to convert. The drive gets off to a fast start, as Lamar scrambles outside once again for 20 yards, knowing he’s got the Chiefs right where he wants them. Jackson also gets a good reception from WR Sammy Watkins for 19 yards, starting to redeem a drop he had earlier. Baltimore runs the ball in a comfortable position to let the clock run out and end the 3rd Quarter.

To start a 4th Quarter to remember, the Ravens are at the Chiefs 11, preparing to score and pull closer to leading the game, and Lamar Jackson was in it to win it. This led to an easy 2 yard rush by Lamar Jackson to the right side of the endzone for a TOUCHDOWN, leading to an attempt to get even closer with a 2 point conversion. The Ravens first snap the ball and complete the attempt, but a penalty going against them leads to another attempt. This attempt doesn’t go so well, as Jackson’s pass intended for Mark Andrews was intercepted, giving the Ravens only 6 points on the drive. The Ravens punt the ball back to Kansas City, who need to redeem themselves after the interception. The drive starts out alright, with a pretty good 8 yard reception for a first down by WR Mecole Hardman. After that play, the Kansas City offense proceeds to fail to gain another first down and has to punt the ball straight back to Baltimore. The Ravens get the ball back, optimistic a comeback is brewing. Baltimore’s offense starts to lean heavily on their run game this drive, advancing the ball on the ground once again with QB Lamar Jackson. Then, the Chiefs defense tries to make a huge stop as a sack on Jackson puts them in great position to do so, but an illegal contact penalty on Tyrann Mathieu negates the play! After that scare, the Ravens continue the drive using their QB’s arm. Lamar Jackson throws a good pass to TE Mark Andrews for 10 yards and RB Ty’Son Williams for a gain of 11 yards to give  the Ravens a huge scoring opportunity. Lamar Jackson puts the team on his back for the remainder of the drive, using his legs to keep advancing the ball until he eventually is able to run out to the right side and flip straight into the endzone for a Baltimore TD, giving the Ravens their first lead of the night. They then decide to go for two so they could most likely ensure overtime if they could stop the Chiefs from scoring a touchdown and force them to kick a field goal. The attempt doesn’t go to plan, as a pass intended for Marquise Brown is incomplete, keeping the score Chiefs 35 Ravens 36. With the score now 35-36 Baltimore, Kansas City must respond to win the game. Fortunately for them, they still have 3 minutes and 14 seconds of game time left, all three timeouts, and the 2 minute warning. This kind of situation has started in some ways to become routine for the Chiefs, as Patrick Mahomes finds WR Byron Pringle for 23 yards and TE Travis Kelce for 13 yards to get all the way down to the Baltimore 39, heading into the 2 minute warning. After the break, the Kansas City offense looks to get back on the field and potentially get a game winning field goal. A good play to Kelce gives the Chiefs a 2nd and 3 at Baltimore’s 32, with the game under their control. They then decide to hand the ball off to their second year running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire to try and waste as much clock as possible before an attempt. Edwards-Helaire receives the ball, he runs, and the ball is PUNCHED OUT by rookie Odafe Oweh! The ball is on the ground, and knowing the game is in his hands, Oweh jumps on the fumble he created and gives the Ravens new life! The Chiefs with this hearting breaking revelation, have to watch as their defense tries to hold against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense. The defense does a pretty good job on this challenge, forcing minimal gains that give the Ravens a 4th and 1 situation, but the Chiefs had to use up all their timeouts in the process. Head Coach for the Ravens John Harbaugh talks to his QB, he asks him if he wants to go for this and seal the game, Lamar Jackson confidently confirms the try to go for it. The Ravens snap the ball to Jackson, and with the game in his hands he runs the ball himself up the middle to get the 1st down and seal the game for the Ravens. This leads the Ravens to a kneel down to end the game and escape with a 35-36 win over the team that has had their number for the past few years.

This win by the Ravens redeemed their loss in Week 1 to the Raiders, and instead of putting themselves in an 0-2 hole, they get a huge win to give themselves a great 1-1 record. They won this game because of Lamar Jackson’s ability to consistently make big plays that kept the game close and eventually led to the win. Another big factor was the defense being able to hold the Chiefs offense to 14 points in the second half and none in the 4th Quarter! One thing the Ravens could work on is getting more of their weapons involved, other than Marquise Brown. Sammy Watkins and Mark Andrews are some of the big weapons they have and were hardly involved in the game, but they are looking forward to rookie WR out of Minnesota Rashod Bateman returning soon from an injury. Looking ahead, they play the Detroit Lions in Ford Field in Week 3 and will most likely probably win pretty easily there. Some of their tougher games will be games against the Colts on Monday Night Football, the Chargers, the Dolphins on TNF, the Browns twice, one on Sunday Night Football, the Packers, the Rams, and the Steelers twice. Now for the Chiefs, after escaping with a win against the Browns in Week 1, they can’t avoid the mistakes they made in the 4th Quarter in this game, leading to the 35-36 loss to Baltimore and falling to 1-1 on the season. This loss will also mark the first time that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have lost in the month of September as a pairing. Some positives from this game were mostly the offense lead behind Patrick Mahomes and Tyrann Mathieu looking pretty great coming off of his bout with COVID. Some negatives were once again, the defense’s inability to stop the Ravens rushing and passing game, basically letting them do whatever they wanted all night. They also made too many mistakes in the final quarter, with an interception from Patrick Mahomes and a huge fumble from Clyde Edwards-Helaire being the main focal points. The road ahead for the Chiefs is pretty challenging. First, they will have Justin Herbert and the Chargers in Arrowhead for a Week 3 showdown that could be won by either team. They also have the Bills on SNF, which against Josh Allen should be pretty challenging, the Titans and Derrick Henry, the Packers, the Raiders on Sunday Night Football, the Cowboys, the Raiders again, the Chargers again, and the Steelers. Overall, both teams looked really good and if they can clean some things up, both teams could be contenders come January. This game might also have some huge playoff implications, as the Ravens now have the tiebreaker over the Chiefs. Finally, this game was one for the ages, and I believe that we can all say that the rivalry between Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson is renewed and in full swing.