The 2024 NFL season opens with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens for the NFL Kickoff Game. Kansas City is a slight favorite against the team it beat in last season’s AFC Championship Game.
Head coach Andy Reid’s Chiefs are taking aim at an unprecedented three-peat with last season’s roster largely intact, while John Harbaugh’s Ravens have undergone significant changes since these teams met in late January. Baltimore will have several new starters on both sides of the ball and a rookie defensive coordinator in 32-year-old Zach Orr.
Orr is taking over a unit that made NFL history last season by leading the league in points allowed, sacks and takeaways. His first task is to slow down Patrick Mahomes and company in Arrowhead Stadium. Although Mahomes’ numbers may have been down last season by his standards, the Chiefs still finished sixth in the NFL in passing offense and ninth in total offense.
After Mahomes was victimized by numerous dropped passes, general manager Brett Veach made it a priority to revamp the wide receiver corps. Unfortunately, free-agent acquisition Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will miss this game due to a shoulder injury, which puts more pressure on lightning-fast first-round pick Xavier Worthy. Of course, Mahomes still has four-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce to rely on.
For Baltimore, Lamar Jackson is coming off a second MVP and will now be joined by two-time rushing champion Derrick Henry in the backfield. Henry adds a new dimension to the Ravens’ potent running attack, but there will be three new starting offensive linemen.
Kansas City’s defense, which played a huge role in last season’s Super Bowl run, will also feature some new pieces following the departures of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. But the anchors of the unit that ranked second in both scoring and total defense last season remain in All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, do-everything linebacker Nick Bolton, and shutdown All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.
So whether you want to focus on this being a playoff rematch, a duel between MVP quarterbacks or Super Bowl-winning head coaches, this is the type of game that’s tailor-made for kicking off the NFL season.
All odds from BetMGM. Looking for NFL tickets? Find them here.
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(Photo of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
