KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes delivered a vintage performance Sunday afternoon, throwing for 270 yards and four touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs cruised past an injury-depleted Baltimore Ravens squad 37-20 in a pivotal early-season AFC showdown.
Kansas City’s offense, inconsistent through the first three weeks, looked revitalized from the start — scoring on its first four possessions and building a 20-10 halftime lead before coasting to its seventh win in the past eight meetings against Baltimore.
Four different Chiefs caught touchdown passes, including Tyquan Thornton and Marquise Brown, while rookie receiver Xavier Worthy returned from a shoulder injury to haul in five catches for 83 yards. The balanced attack proved too much for a Ravens defense missing seven starters by the fourth quarter.
Baltimore’s struggles were compounded when star quarterback Lamar Jackson exited in the third quarter with a hamstring injury after throwing for 147 yards, a touchdown, and his first interception of the season. Backup Cooper Rush finished the game as the Ravens fell to 1-3 — a record from which only five teams in the current playoff format have rallied to make the postseason.
The Chiefs’ defense also delivered a strong showing, holding Derrick Henry to just 42 rushing yards on eight carries and limiting a Ravens offense that had led the NFL with 111 points through three games. Justice Hill’s 71-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter provided one of the few bright spots for Baltimore.
Kansas City’s dominance began early, with Mahomes connecting on short touchdown throws to JuJu Smith-Schuster and Isiah Pacheco in the first half, complemented by a pair of Harrison Butker field goals. The Ravens managed a late field goal before halftime to stay within 10, but the Chiefs opened the second half with a six-play, 65-yard touchdown drive capped by Thornton’s score.
Despite a pair of field goals from Baltimore’s Tyler Loop, Mahomes found Brown in the end zone early in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
While Kansas City escaped without any injuries, Baltimore’s list of sidelined players continued to grow. Linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, cornerback Nate Wiggins, and left tackle Ronnie Stanley all exited during the game, adding to a roster already missing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and pass rusher Broderick Washington Jr.
The Chiefs (2-2) will look to build on the momentum when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars next Monday night.
