The Baltimore Ravens, behind 107 yards rushing and two touchdowns from quarterback Lamar Jackson, rallied for a dramatic 36-35 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. Coming into the showdown of former MVP quarterbacks with the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Jackson had been 0-3, but with the most recent effort, Mahomes suffered his first ever career loss in the month of September.
In total, Baltimore rushed for 251 yards and passed for 239, torturing a Chiefs defense that failed to hold a double-digit second-half lead, falling to 1-1 and a tie for third place with the Chargers in the rugged AFC West. Baltimore’s win assured all four AFC North teams (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Cleveland) are now 1-1.
Among the biggest highlights in the thrilling game behind two of the AFC’s top squads, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a 46-yard touchdown pass that saw him maneuver through most of the Ravens secondary before being tackled into the end zone by Baltimore’s nose tackle. Kansas City took an 11 point lead with the first score of the second half, a 40 yard connection between Mahomes and Byron Pringle that pushed the lead to 28-17.
After Baltimore rallied for the lead with the late fourth quarter Jackson run, Kansas City appeared to be moving in position for a potential game-winning field goal when second-year back Clyde Edwards-Hellaire fumbled. Kansas City used its final three time outs and forced Baltimore into a 4th-and-1 on the Ravens side of the field. With a gutsy decision with the game’s outcome on the line, coach John Harbaugh went for it, with Jackson rushing two yards for the first down, clinching the contest. Mahomes was his spectacular self for the Chiefs, going 24 for 31 for 343 yards and three touchdowns, along with an interception.
Kansas City returns home to host the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday, September 26th.
Here in the NFL scoreboard from Sunday, September 19, 2021:
Carolina 26, New Orleans 7
Chicago 20, Cincinnati 17
Cleveland 31, Houston 21
Los Angeles (NFC) 27, Indianapolis 24
Denver 23, Jacksonville 13
Buffalo 35, Miami 0
New England 25, New York (AFC) 6
San Francisco 17, Philadelphia 11
Las Vegas 26, PIttsburgh 17
Arizona 34, Minnesota 33
Tampa Bay 48, Atlanta 25
Dallas 20, Los Angeles (AFC) 17
Tennessee 33, Seattle 30 (OT)
