The Kansas City Chiefs made a winning start to their NFL title defence as the Baltimore Ravens had a touchdown overturned as the game expired.
The Chiefs, who are aiming to become the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row, led 27-20 as the Ravens got the ball back with two minutes remaining.
Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to the Chiefs’ 10-yard line with less than 30 seconds and they had three shots at the endzone.
The first two passes were incomplete and the third was caught by Isaiah Likely at the back of the endzone and awarded as a touchdown.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh signalled for his team to go for a two-point conversion to win the game, rather than kick the extra point to take it to overtime.
But replays showed that Likely landed with a toe on the endline and the score was ruled out, allowing the Kansas City crowd, including Travis Kelce’s girlfriend Taylor Swift, to celebrate a 27-20 victory.
The 2024 season opener was a repeat of last season’s AFC Championship game and means the Chiefs have won five of their six meetings with the Ravens since their quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jackson came into the league.
During that time, the Ravens have twice finished the regular season with the NFL’s best record yet failed to reach a Super Bowl while the Chiefs, who Jackson once described as “our kryptonite”, have reached four of the past five, winning three.
