What We Saw: Week 1

Ravens @ Chiefs

Final Score: Chiefs 27, Ravens 20

Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)

The opening day wind was a raider, the rain pillaging Arrowhead just for fun. The start of the game was delayed by 20 minutes but the energy was palpable as the 2024 NFL season began. And what a mouthwatering matchup we had – the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who are looking to achieve the three-peat, welcoming the ever-impressive Ravens, wounded by a catastrophic loss in the playoffs. After a frenzied start, things settled down, with both quarterbacks turning the ball over and the offensive momentum waning as the defenses stepped up with some big hits.

It was a surprisingly narrow three-point lead for the Chiefs going into the half but they exploded out of the blocks to score on the opening possession of the second half. Isaiah Pacheco forced his way in with a little help from his offensive line friends to extend KC’s lead to 10. The Ravens answered back but the inevitable Patrick Mahomes found rookie Xavier Worthy all alone down the sideline for his second score of the game. A dramatic ending to the game saw Mahomes catching his own pass and Lamar Jackson march the Ravens back down the field, missing an open-wide receiver to tie the game before connecting with breakout star Isaiah Likely at the back of the end zone as time expired. Replays showed Likely’s toe was ever so slightly over the white paint, however, and it was overturned. Welcome to football in 2024, I hope your nerves can cope if this is what is to be expected.

Let’s break down the action from a fantasy perspective.

Three Up

• Rashee Rice – The Chiefs went to Rice early and often, with the explosive wideout working in a number of roles and catching four balls in the first quarter alone. Rice consistently beat linebackers in one-on-one situations down the middle of the field. He was the most accomplished receiver on the field.
• Xavier Worthy – a dramatic impact on his first touch of the game, Worthy showed off his wheels with fireworks. In a big spot in the second half, he burned Marlon Humphrey for his second score of the game. It’s easy this NFL stuff!
• Isaiah Likely – is this the breakout game that will spur a change of guard at TE in Baltimore? His work after the catch for his second-half score was the type of speed and elusiveness you expect from a wideout, not a tight end. He was unlucky at the end but it’s important to note that with the game on the line, he was the target Jackson went to.

Two Down

• Mark Andrews – although not anonymous in this game, Andrews was totally outplayed by Likely, whose downfield threat could be the extra string to this offense’s bow. Andrews lacked mobility and wasn’t seen separating down the field like he has done in the past
• Travis Kelce – it might not just be Baltimore who are changing the guard at the tight end position. Though not as dramatic as the stat line for the Ravens, newly extended young tight end Noah Gray was more involved in this offense, eating into Kelce’s usage. There was no real red zone opportunity for Kelce either.

Baltimore Ravens

Quarterback

Lamar Jackson: 26/41, 273 Yards, TD, Sack, Fumble (Lost) | 16 Carries, 122 Yards

Hmmm, it’s tough to be overly critical of Jackson after he posted a solid 25.12 fantasy points in Yahoo! for this performance but to the eye, there were a number of missed opportunities that could have made this a fantasy bonanza for the dual-threat star. And in the passing game, the same old lingering questions remain with Jackson missing targets on a number of key moments in the second half with the game on the line.

The positives were: his fantasy production, despite all the concern with the offensive line (which played a part in his fumble for a turnover), his new-found chemistry with exciting young tight end Likely, and his running ability, which has not diminished one bit as he set his highest rushing total in a game since the 2020 season.

Notes

• Benefitting from a couple of non-calls on offensive line penalties on the opening drive, Lamar was incisive on the ground and through the air to lead an impressive 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive polished off by a five-yard run from newly recruited Derrick Henry for the score. Get used to that, Ravens fans!
• Vastly improved offensive line play in the second half allowed him more time to throw but the result was he just scrambled more and took off when not under pressure. His 122 yards on the ground is gold for fantasy but his real-life performance as a quarterback still has question marks based on this performance.

Missed opportunities

• On the third drive of the game, the Ravens switched out their right tackle to bring in second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten, but it ended in disaster as Chris Jones breezed past the rookie to force a fumble to a dithering Jackson in the pocket. The Chiefs recovered but could only kick a field goal.
• Jackson missed a deep ball down the middle to Likely on the Ravens’ first drive after the half, overthrowing and putting the ball too close to the defensive back.
• Another miss, right at the end of the game! Zay Flowers found himself on his own at the back of the end zone with a chance to tie the game, but as he was moving to the right, Jackson threw too far behind Flowers and the ball sailed out the back of the end zone. Mahomes doesn’t miss that throw.

Running Back

Derrick Henry: 13 Carries, 46 Yards, TD | 2 Targets

A solid start from Henry as the lead back in Baltimore as he rumbled in for a score on the first drive of the game. Henry saw plenty of touches on the ground in the first half but his opportunities dried up in the second as the Ravens played catch-up all half. That will be a rare occurrence this season so fantasy managers should not get disheartened by his stymied stat line by the end of the contest. The Ravens will dominate many games and there will be plenty of downhill running for Henry to do going forward.

His lack of usage out the backfield is something to note with fellow back Justice Hill handling nearly all the work in third-down situations.

Justice Hill: 1 Carry, 3 Yards | 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 52 Yards

Hill was effective with all his touches, gaining extra yards and converting in a couple of key third-down situations after the Chiefs bottled up the inside for Henry. The reliable veteran is a long way off a regular flex play but the number of touches and his effectiveness on the field were both positives. He set a new career high for receptions.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Isaiah Likely: 12 Targets, 9 Receptions, 111 Yards, TD

The young tight end flashed his ability as a route runner late last year after Andrews got hurt, and Likely continued where he left off with a beautiful out-route to beat his man and haul in a 15-yard gain on the Ravens’ second drive of the game. He was regularly a threat throughout the contest and his involvement outshone that of starter Andrews. Likely shiftily dodged past a couple of defenders in the red zone to set up a first-and-goal with the Ravens’ final drive of the first half before beating his marker deep at the start of the second half before seeing the throw from his quarterback arch back towards the defensive back and go incomplete as a contested ball.

The third-year tight end erupted late in the game with a number of eye-catching plays, none more so than his after-the-catch wizardry to run in a 49-yard score just when the game looked to be running away from Baltimore. The finest of margins stopped Likely from becoming an instant hero in Baltimore with the final play of the game but his ability to haul in that throw will mean he’s front and center the next time that opportunity arises.

It is worth noting that only a few plays prior, Likely went down hard on his shoulder and looked in considerable pain. His status may be worth monitoring but it won’t stop him from being a popular waiver add this week.

Zay Flowers: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 37 Yards | 2 Carries, 14 Yards

What a start for second-year star Zay Flowers, who burned Trent McDuffie on a crossing route on the Ravens’ first drive of the game to haul in a big 19-yard gain on third-and-long to set up the opening touchdown of the contest. McDuffie got his revenge in the second quarter as he nailed Flowers short of the line to gain on a fourth-down conversion attempt near midfield. Flowers was peppered with short targets in the second half as the Ravens looked to chip away at the Chiefs on successive drives. With the game on the line right at the end, Flowers worked the perfect route in the end zone and found himself all alone but Jackson missed him by a good couple of feet with the pass. Oh, what could have been! The volume is promising, with touches out of the backfield too.

Rashod Bateman: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 53 Yards

A brilliant catch down the right sideline for 38 yards with only 43 seconds left in the contest spared Rashod Bateman another sparse stat line as the wideout finally had a contested ball on the outside to make his own. Bateman suffers from the Ravens passing game not playing to his strengths but the desperation needed at that time in the contest forced Lamar’s hand. Still, this wasn’t encouraging from a fantasy perspective, especially when backup running back Hill saw three more targets than Bateman.

Mark Andrews: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards

Overshadowed by his young understudy, Andrews was held to just one catch until the fourth quarter when he had an easy third-down conversion stopped short after looking cumbersome when catching and turning to go downfield. His immobility coming off injury is worrying. There was no red zone target either, something that his production has banked up in previous seasons.

Nelson Agholor: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards

Kansas City Chiefs

Quarterback

Patrick Mahomes: 20/28, 291 Yards, TD, INT, 2 Sacks | 2 Carries, 3 Yards

The best quarterback in football looked ready for business early in this contest, orchestrating a thrilling, devastating five-play drive for a touchdown on the Chiefs’ first offensive drive. Mahomes showed his mastery by spraying the ball around the formation, getting his rookies involved immediately, and ensuring his big mouths got fed. However, as happened at times last year as well, Mahomes showed lapses of concentration and an uncomfortable poise behind his offensive line in the second quarter that ground the offense to a near halt. Only a couple of turnovers from the Ravens allowed the Chiefs to eke ahead.

It was a different story in the second half as Mahomes carved up the Ravens and threw a touchdown pass to rookie Worthy to put his team in control. His average of 10.4 yards per attempt was way above his 2023 average and with Hollywood Brown to return this is a positive. The Ravens took away his regular options in the red zone and settling for field goals will be something Mahomes will be desperate to change. He deserved better than his 16.14 fantasy points on Yahoo!

Notes

• For much of the first half, it looked like Mahomes had moved on from his old friend Travis Kelce, who saw his first target late in the first half snuffed out for a short gain. That was until the two connected deep after Mahomes scrambled in the backfield before throwing a dart to Kelce for a 23-yard gain near the end of the first half. It remains to be seen whether Gray provides an added edge, or just compromises the Mahomes-Kelce love affair.
• The absence of a field-stretching deep ball was again obvious and despite Worthy’s speed, he didn’t really look for that pass for the majority of his targets. It could be that Brown is the guy for that.

Missed opportunities

• Three times the Ravens coughed it up in the first half (fumble, downs, missed FG) and three times Mahomes could not capitalize. In the red zone, the Chiefs settled for two field goals, Mahomes floated one to Worthy that needed a bit more zip on it, giving the Ravens defensive backs time to contest the ball. And his errant throw to nobody over the middle of the field with less than two minutes remaining was intercepted by Roquan Smith.
• With an opportunity to ice the game in the fourth quarter, a couple of offensive penalties and poor throws meant the Chiefs’ defense had to win the game. It would be great to see the Chiefs find their ruthless nature again, it’s been missing for a while.

Running Back

Isaiah Pacheco: 15 Carries, 45 Yards, TD | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 33 Yards

Pacheco has become one of the most reliable, tough runners in the NFL and he came exactly as advertised with a number of hard-fought inside runs for positive gains, his relentless legs earning valuable extra yards. A 23-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter owed much to Pacheco’s ability to stay upright as he used his tackler’s body to roll atop him and get up to run for extra yards. In similar fashion, a gritty one-yard scoring run on the Chiefs’ opening drive of the second half saw him battle through contact and wait for a push from his offensive line to get the job done on what seemed like the fourth effort!

A solid start for the Chiefs lead back, who dominated touches and handled 15 of the team’s 18 rushes.

Carson Steele: 2 Carries, 3 Yards

Samaje Perine: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 10 Yards

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Rashee Rice: 9 Targets, 7 Receptions, 103 Yards

Unlikely to face any punishment anytime soon for his offseason indiscretions, Rice has firmly established himself as the top wideout in Kansas City and has started to see Tyreek Hill-like involvement in terms of touches. His nine targets led the team as did his seven catches and 103 yards. An electric 33-yard gain at the start of the second half set the tone for the Chiefs to go on and win the game – Rice slipping away from the zone defense out of the slot and side-stepping a defensive back to break free into Baltimore territory. He will look to build on this solid start and hit paydirt in Week 2, something he did eight times in his rookie season.

Xavier Worthy: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 47 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 21 Yards, TD

Taking his first step towards a potential Offensive Rookie of the Year challenge, Worthy lit up Arrowhead with his first touch of the game, an explosive run from an end around that he took to the house from 21 yards out. It was a statement run from the rookie, who looks to be the perfect flex option for fantasy managers. Despite only catching two balls, he also found the end zone through the air, tricking experienced corner Marlon Humphrey into staying underneath before breaking to the outside and burning him for a 35-yard score on the drive immediately after the Ravens had pulled within three points. Eyes will be on his role once Brown returns from injury, but it won’t matter if he does this much with this little.

Noah Gray: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 37 Yards

After signing a three-year, $18 million contract extension earlier in the day, Gray caught all three of his targets for 37 yards and looks to have earned a larger role in this offense. Whether that role matures enough to be fantasy-relevant is likely too optimistic but it is certainly worth noting with Kelce entering the twilight of his career.

Travis Kelce: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 34 Yards

Expertly marshaled by a stingy Ravens defense, Kelce could only shake off his markers on a couple of occasions to make a play. One of those was a 23-yard grab that was reminiscent of the playoffs last season, where he came alive when the Chiefs needed him the most. Kelce is usually good for a couple of red zone targets per game but he didn’t see any in this game. That is the more worrying aspect of this early fantasy dud score.

Justin Watson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 25 Yards

The depth receiver’s only contribution was taking in a pass after he was found all alone in the middle of the field thanks to a blown assignment from the Ravens’ defense. He was on the field more than Skyy Moore, who didn’t see a target and played 28 snaps.

JuJu Smith-Schuster: 1 Target

And that could be all she wrote for the former Steelers and Patriots wideout. He juggled then dropped a red zone pass on the goal line that should have been hauled in for a score. He wasn’t targeted after that and played just 12 snaps.