'They Just Beat Us': Despite Early Lead, Ravens Fall 34-20 To Defending Super Bowl Champion Chiefs
BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) -- Two undefeated teams that are already being discussed as Super Bowl contenders stepped onto the field at M&T Bank Stadium Monday night, knowing one would see their win streak end.
Sadly for the Baltimore Ravens, despite an early lead, the Kansas City Chiefs again proved to be too much to handle.
The Ravens put the first points on the board with a 26-yard field goal from Justin Tucker in the first quarter after a 30-yard run.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes responded by running the ball into the end zone for a touchdown.
From that point on, the Ravens didn't lead for the rest of the game.
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In the second quarter, rookie Devin Duvernay scored his first carer touchdown, returning a kick for 93 yards and shrinking Baltimore's deficit to three points.
The Chiefs, however, kept running up the board, leading the Ravens 27-10 at the half. Mahomes threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter alone.
Baltimore scored a field goal in the third quarter, the only score during that quarter.
Right as the fourth quarter started, the Ravens scored another touchdown, bringing the score to 27-20.
In the fourth quarter, the Chiefs put up another touchdown, winning 34-20.
With Mahomes leading the way, the Chiefs (3-0) emphatically ended the Ravens' 14-game regular-season winning streak while extending their own run to 12 games (including playoffs).
Mahomes went 31 of 42 for 385 yards and four touchdowns. He was not intercepted, and avoided being sacked. The Chiefs led 27-10 at halftime and held on to defeat Baltimore (2-1) for the third year in a row.
In a duel between Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP, and the player who won that honor last year, Jackson was no match for the man whose resume also includes a Super Bowl MVP trophy.
Jackson completed 15 of 28 passes for 97 yards and ran for 83 yards, 30 of them on one carry during the Ravens' opening possession. The fleet-footed quarterback is 21-4 as Baltimore's starter, and three of those defeats have come against Mahomes and the Chiefs.
The Ravens (2-1) take on Washington next week.
REACTION
With three consecutive losses to the Chiefs, Jackson called them the team's kryptonite.
"Second half, we always start cranking up at the wrong time. We have to finish how we start. We have to play better," he said.
Following the game, Harbaugh said "we have a lot to learn."
"Well obviously we haven't beaten them. They out-executed us out planned us. They just beat us. They are obviously a better football team as of right now," he said.
Calais Campbell said he thinks the team will still rebound.
"I want to earn the right to face them again," he said.
Campbell also praised the job Mahomes did, saying, "they don't give that guy half a billion dollars for no reason. He just made play after play."
Jimmy Smith called Mahomes "elite."
"He knows how to make the good, the hard throws, in the pocket," Smith said.
Despite the loss, he said the team won't sit around and sulk, instead planning to review the tape and gear up for the next game against Washington.
SMALL CROWD
There were an estimated 250 people in the seats consisting of immediate family members of Ravens players, coaches and front office personnel. They were scattered in several sections behind the Baltimore sideline.
They were far more animated than the cardboard cutouts of people behind each end zone.
TAKE A KNEE
The Chiefs appeared to all stand on the sideline during the national anthem. The Ravens, on the other hand, offered a mixed bag of protests to call attention to social injustice: Some kneeled, including Jackson, some stood and a few others just sat on the bench.
INJURIES
Chiefs: CB L'Jarius Sneed was ruled out in the third quarter with a collarbone injury. ... DE Alex Okafor (hamstring) was inactive.
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