The NFL confirmed on Monday that the Baltimore Ravens will play the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions, in the opening game of the 2024 season on Thursday, September 5. This is a repeat of the AFC Championship Game from the previous season, in which the Chiefs overcame the Ravens 17-10 to go to Super Bowl LVIII.
On NBC, the game will begin at 8:20 p.m. ET. League insiders claim that the whole 2024 NFL regular season schedule will be made public on Wednesday.
In the season opener, three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes and current NFL MVP Lamar Jackson will square off for the sixth time. The Chiefs, led by Mahomes, are 4-1 versus Jackson and the Ravens.
The Chiefs made it to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in the previous five seasons thanks to a strong offensive performance from Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the AFC Championship Game and a strong defensive effort from their colleagues to slow down Jackson.
Mahomes completed 30 of 39 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown, starting the game with 11 straight completions. Kelce added 116 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions. With one interception and 272 yards passing on 20 of 37 attempts, Jackson scored one touchdown.
In overtime, Kansas City defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 to win Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Super Bowl MVP went to Mahomes for the third time.
In the NFL Kickoff Games during prime time, the Chiefs have a record of 2-1. Kansas City was defeated 21–20 by the Detroit Lions in the season opener the previous year. In their lone NFL Kickoff Game, the Ravens were defeated 49–27 by the Denver Broncos to start the 2013 year.
Chiefs will host Ravens in 2024 NFL Season Opener
The independent Thursday Kickoff Game was first played in 2002, and starting in 2004, it included the reigning Super Bowl champion. There has only been one Kickoff Game since 2004 (2019 — Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears) without the reigning Super Bowl champion. Due to a scheduling conflict, the 2013 Ravens were the only reigning Super Bowl champions to play a road game in the NFL’s season opener.
Since 2004, there have been five Kickoff Game losses for the host team (2012, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023). The Chiefs are hoping to make NFL history by becoming the first team to win three straight Super Bowl titles.
The Patriots’ victories in the 2017 and 2019 Super Bowls, but loss in the 2018 game, was the closest we’ve been to such a feat. With their newfound tools, the Chiefs are ready to create history. Andy Reid, Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes are prepared and laser-focused. It is said that the real timetable will be released on May 15. When it does, a far closer prediction and a deeper examination of the game-by-game forecasts may be possible. Let’s look at the 2024 season, schedule, and likelihood of a repeat now.
In a rematch of the 2023 AFC title game, the Chiefs take on the Ravens in the opening NFL game of the 2024 season on September 5. NBC will broadcast that game during Thursday Night Football.
In their previous game, Kansas City’s formidable defence limited the Ravens to just two touchdowns, enabling the Chiefs to win 17-10 and advance to the Super Bowl. Mahomes gained 241 yards and one touchdown on 30 of 39 throws completed. Travis Kelce scored on 11 receptions for 116 yards and receptions.
With an incredible eight consecutive AFC West championship, the Chiefs concluded the 2023 season with an 11-6 record. They have total control over that division. However, their record was only good enough for the third seed in the AFC. Since the 2017 campaign, they have never finished lower than the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
It wouldn’t be a leap to claim that their defence carried the squad. This season, Kansas City has surrendered the second-fewest points per game in the NFL. The setback to the Lions on opening night ought to have served as a wake-up call. Before going into a slump in the middle to end of the season, they recovered and won six straight. KC went 3-5 from Weeks 8 to 16. Of the five losses, four were by a single point.
The Chiefs play seven games against teams who made the playoffs the previous year. Taking turnover into account is crucial, even though they will play ten games against teams who aren’t in the playoffs. Despite losing out in 2023, the Bengals, Chargers, and Saints were all previous postseason contenders.
The division games are also always quite difficult. In those kinds of games, you and your rival are quite familiar with one another. Remember that the Chiefs’ AFC West rivals have been preparing to defeat them for as long as they have led their division. A prime example would be the Chargers, who had to make multiple significant layoffs due to cap difficulties. They decided to stick with their starting pass rushers and bench their starting receivers.
2024 NFL Schedule Kansas City Chiefs to host Baltimore Ravens in Kickoff Game
The first home game against the Ravens that stands out as a potential primetime matchup is this one. Once more, two of the league’s top quarterbacks will square off. This is the Tom Brady versus. Peyton Manning of the modern era. Brady to Mahomes’ Manning is Lamar Jackson. Jackson appears to be ready for his big break, even if Mahomes has more titles and awards.
It’s not as concerning as some would have you believe with his lack of postseason success to thus date. If they don’t get hurt, these two will continue to be at the top of their game for years to come. Make this the Thursday Night Kickoff Special if the league truly wanted to start the season off right.
The 49ers and Bills are the two teams with the most juice out of their road games. Over the years, the Chiefs have been able to get solid games from the Bills. Although they have somewhat regressed, they remain a strong team. The 49ers are a consistent competitor who have kept up one of the best defences in the league in spite of losing a number of coaches and players on that side of the ball.
Against Carolina, there is a cunning choice among the road games that may be shown in prime time. Why in the world would they play a 2–15 squad in prime time, one would wonder? The first overall choice in the 2023 NFL Draft was Bryce Young.
