CNN
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The NFL’s 105th season has begun and with it the Kansas City Chiefs’ bid for a historic third straight Super Bowl title begins in thrilling fashion.

In front of a rapturous crowd at Arrowhead Stadium – including Taylor Swift – the Chiefs unveiled their championship banner and delivered their home fans to a thrilling 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in a game that came down to the final minute.

Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes broke the franchise record for all-time passing yards, moving ahead of Len Dawson, while rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy – who broke the NFL combine 40-yard dash record with 4.21 seconds – had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.

It was a replay of last season’s AFC championship game, featuring Mahomes, the MVP of Super Bowl LVIII, and the league’s reigning MVP, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Chiefs controlled the first half, taking a 13-10 lead into halftime. They extended their lead to 20-10 in the third quarter.

However, the Ravens began to show signs of life early in the final period, with a 49-yard pass from Jackson to tight end Isaiah Likely cutting the lead to 20-17.

But Mahomes, as he so often does, quickly responded, finding Worthy for a 35-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 27-17. In the first half, Worthy sprinted 21 yards on an end-around to the end zone — his first touchdown of his NFL career.

Perhaps the biggest catch of the night, though, came from Mahomes himself. With under three minutes left in the game and the Chiefs leading by seven points, Mahomes had a third-down pass deflected by Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson, but the Chiefs quarterback was able to block two defenders from making the catch, avoiding the turnover.

Kansas City gave the ball away, leaving Jackson and Baltimore with one final drive.

With no timeouts, Jackson went airborne and hit wide receiver Rashod Bateman for a gain of 38 yards, setting up first-and-goal. Incomplete passes to Likely and wide receiver Zay Flowers set up third-and-goal with five seconds left. On the final play of the game, Jackson threw to Likely in the back of the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown that would give the Ravens a chance to tie or win the game on the extra point.

But the play was reviewed – as all possible scoring actions come in the final two minutes of the game – and later footage showed Likely with a toe out of bounds.

The pass was ruled incomplete and the Chiefs narrowly escaped the opening goal.

“It was nerve-wracking, obviously,” Mahomes told NBC. “It’s a matter of inches, that’s what they say. That’s a great football team, and to come here and get a win at Arrowhead is a way to start the season.”

That moment meant Mahomes could truly celebrate his new place in Chiefs lore. The franchise-record-breaking moment for Mahomes came on the kind of play NFL fans have seen so often from the Chiefs star QB throughout his career.

It came on a third-and-12 and Mahomes, under pressure, quickly tried to find open space and connected with his faithful target, tight end Travis Kelce, for a gain of 23 yards midway through the second quarter.

Mahomes entered the night within 84 yards of Len Dawson’s franchise record. He finished the night completing 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown, throwing one interception.

Jackson completed 26 of 41 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown.

Kickoff for the season opener was delayed slightly – 20 minutes – until 7:40 p.m. local time in Kansas City due to a thunderstorm that swept through Arrowhead Stadium, delaying event and game activities. During the downpour, spectators were asked to leave their seats and take cover as players left the field.

After the bad weather cleared, a rainbow appeared in the distance – a sign to exuberant NFL fans that the season was near.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.