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Winners and losers of Chiefs’ narrow victory over Ravens in the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game
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Winners and losers of Chiefs’ narrow victory over Ravens in the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game

https://www.nfl.com/players/noah-gray/Ravens-runningback Derrick Henry: The whole point of acquiring Henry was to create fewer carries for Jackson. That wasn’t the case Thursday, as Henry finished with 13 rushing attempts, 46 yards and a touchdown. He really wasn’t a factor in the final two quarters, and the issues with the offensive line should make people wonder if this will be a tougher transition than initially anticipated. The Chiefs were determined to hold onto Henry, but the Ravens lacked a counterpunch when it came to play-action. That’s not a good look for a team that prides itself on being more physical than its opponents.

Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken: This game was another chance for the Ravens offensive coordinator to prove he can take this offense to the next level. The results were mixed at best. Most of the good work the Ravens did on offense came from Jackson’s magic, not overall intrigue. There were too many plays that went east-west, as the Ravens hoped to scout the perimeter for big gains on quick throws. Part of that had to do with the offensive line’s issues. But you can’t ignore Monken’s role in all of this. Spagnuolo outplayed him in last year’s playoffs, and Monken didn’t do any better in this game.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce: It was a quiet night for the future Hall of Famer, as he produced three catches for 34 yards. Just as telling was the fact that Kelce had only four goals in the game. The Chiefs offense has used him for most of the Mahomes era, but Thursday night felt like a sign of the times. Kansas City needs to start thinking about future options for when Kelce retires — he turns 35 on Oct. 5 — and Rice is the clear favorite to be Option A in this offense going forward. The Chiefs also made more use of backup tight end Noah Gray, and there are high expectations for wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown when he returns from a shoulder injury. That doesn’t mean Kelce is done. It’s just a reality check. He struggled in the second half of last season before picking up in the postseason. There may be more moments this year when we realize his best days are behind him.