First, the manner in which the Baltimore Ravens lost 27-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener is about as soul-crushing as a loss can be. Tight end Isaiah Likely came inches away from a touchdown grab that would have allowed Baltimore to either force overtime or go for the win with a two-point conversion.

Second, the Ravens have work to do, especially on the offensive line. A line with three new starters didn’t play well for most of the game, and the most established player on that line (left tackle Ronnie Stanley) was fined about 112 times for illegal formations.

That said, the Chiefs lost their opener last year and it all worked out for the best. There are some things to clean up. Derrick Henry has to get going after a lackluster debut for the Ravens. But with the loss, the Ravens may have found something that could be a key piece of the offense this season.

You can’t really say Likely broke out against the Chiefs. The third-year pro has flashed in the past when given the chance. There’s a reason Baltimore spent so much time in “12” personnel on Thursday, and it wasn’t just because the O-line was struggling.

Likely exploded against Kansas City. While veteran Mark Andrews was essentially invisible (two catches, 14 yards), Likely led the Ravens in targets (12), receptions (9) and receiving yards (111), while catching Lamar Jackson’s only touchdown pass of the game.

And once again he was just one toe away from score number 2.

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Likely looked like Travis Kelce. Or Andrews before injuries sapped his explosiveness. And while some might say you shouldn’t overreact to one game, that didn’t seem like a coincidence.

It seemed like a changing of the guard.