One game of the 2024 NFL season is officially in the books. And boy was it a thriller by the end, with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens coming within an inch of taking the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to overtime. In the end, the Chiefs are 1-0, the Ravens are 0-1, and the rest of the NFL is eager to kick off the remainder of a jam-packed Week 1 slate.
Before we move on, here are five burning questions stemming from Thursday's opener:
1. Are the Chiefs really this good (again)?
No, Kansas City wasn't perfect against Baltimore. But come on. This is a team looking for its third straight title, and frankly, they look even more well-rounded and explosive than they did on the Super Bowl stage. Xavier Worthy wasted no time showcasing his elite speed as both a runner and receiver. Rashee Rice was automatic over the middle, looking like a true No. 1 for Patrick Mahomes. And Steve Spagnuolo's defense remained persistent up front. Again, not a perfect debut, but pretty darn close. Which speaks to the unmatched talent, scheming and everything in between that exists in K.C.
2. Can the Ravens settle things down offensively?
Lamar Jackson was a one-man fireworks show for large parts of the Ravens' debut, mostly with his legs as he coasted to 120+ yards on the ground. But the fact he had to run so much underscores how frantic Baltimore often appeared with the ball in its hands. Through the air, in fact, Jackson almost exclusively targeted Zay Flowers on short-area stuff before a last-gasp deep connection with Rashod Bateman. You can blame part of that on the Chiefs' stingy defense, but it's fair to wonder whether Jackson can survive 17+ games of playing hero ball as a scrambler, if this keeps up.
3. Will Derrick Henry's workload ramp up?
The big man got plenty of attention this offseason, bringing his supersized frame and resume to an already-impressive rushing team, only to muster all of 46 yards on 13 carries in his purple debut. Not only that, but Justice Hill was a regular sub on passing downs as both a blocker and dump-off option for Lamar Jackson. To be fair, Hill's deployment worked; he was effective. Odds are Henry will see an uptick in opportunities depending on the game script, as the Ravens trailed for large portions of the Chiefs game.
4. Is it time to call Isaiah Likely TE1?
Mark Andrews was on the field after recovering from car-crash injuries, but you'd be excused if you didn't notice, with the three-time Pro Bowler hauling in just two passes against K.C. Instead, Likely was all over the place, dominating the middle with nine catches for 111 yards and a score, plus a would-be game-tying touchdown negated due to his foot barely crossing the back of the end zone on the game's final play. Andrews remains a cog, but it's safe to say Likely has earned a bigger share of reps.
5. Will these teams meet again?
Imperfections noted, would it really be that shocking if these two clubs came face to face in an even bigger matchup down the road? The Chiefs met the Detroit Lions to start the 2023 season, and Detroit ended up advancing to the NFC championship. Baltimore's got issues to sort through, including that frenetic offensive line, but Thursday's opener truly felt like a showcase of some of the league's contenders.
