It wasn’t by as wide of a margin as it could’ve been, but the Kansas City Chiefs opened up their 2024-25 slate with a victory nonetheless.
The back-to-back Super Bowl champs are 1-0 to start the year, securing a dramatic win over the visiting Baltimore Ravens. Thanks to some timely scores and a close touchdown reversal at the end of the game, Andy Reid’s squad got the best of John Harbaugh’s group for the second time this calendar year.
Countless individual performances are worth noting – both good and bad – from the opener. With that in mind, let’s point out some of the Chiefs’ biggest winners and losers from the first week of the regular season.
The Chiefs were without Chris Jones for Week 1 last season, and his absence was evident. The pass rush struggled without him, which certainly would’ve been the case had he missed the inaugural game of the 2024 campaign as well. This time around, the All-Pro defensive tackle made an impact early with a pressure and a run stop on Baltimore’s opening possession. A forced fumble in the second quarter also set Kansas City up for a field goal. Steve Spagnuolo and company allowed Jones to hunt matchups all night and while he wasn’t perfect, he started the year with a bang.
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Even with so many other talented players to compete with, there might not be a more polarizing Chief than Nick Bolton. On Thursday night, however, there seemed to be a clear majority outlook on his performance for the first time in quite a while. He didn’t make splash plays in the run game. The fourth-year linebacker was slow to react on multiple plays, also struggling to pursue the action away from his direct assignment. Isaiah Likely’s touchdown, one that saw Bolton whiff on the chance to prevent a score after a pass from Lamar Jackson, was the most obvious mishap. Bolton deserves some slack given the fact that he’s still getting his legs back under him following an elbow injury. With that said, he looked off-pace and out of place in Week 1.
The Chiefs’ first-round pick gave them immediate returns to launch the regular season. Xavier Worthy’s speed is extremely real, as evidenced by his touchdown run in the first quarter. The Texas product also had a solid snag for a first down later in the game, capping things off by making the most of a blown coverage in the fourth quarter and getting another score. While Worthy doesn’t need to get crowned as the next WR1 in Kansas City for simply running to the right spots, it’s clear that he’s a weapon. He dreamed about making an impact, which is exactly what he did against Baltimore.
Following a very strong rookie campaign, safety Chamarri Conner played some uninspiring football in the preseason. That bled into Week 1, where the former Day 3 draft pick missed multiple tackles in the first half and couldn’t come down with an interception on Baltimore’s first drive of the second half. On the Ravens’ penultimate possession, he failed to convert a tackle that would’ve been good for a stop behind the sticks. Conner’s range, closing speed and aggressiveness are all plus traits, although he’ll have to rein things in moving forward and be more efficient.
Even with Worthy in the fold, Rashee Rice picked up right where he left off last season. Looking even shiftier in his movements, the second-year man did plenty of damage over the middle of the field. Finishing with seven receptions for 103 yards, Rice logged 78 of those yards after the catch and had 60 of them against off-coverage. Given Worthy’s speed and tight end Travis Kelce’s gravity, expecting this quality of production every week is realistic. The quantity may not always be there, but Rice remains a key cog in the machine that is the Chiefs’ offense.
Right around training camp time, Spagnuolo hinted at linebacker Leo Chenal playing a few different roles on defense this year. The athletic former third-round pick had opportunities open up due to the departure of Willie Gay Jr., and he capitalized in Week 1. Chenal was excellent at containing Jackson, and a specific two-play sequence of a forced throwaway and a tackle on the next snap stood out. He also had a couple of tipped passes, a staple of the Chiefs’ front seven. Chenal, not necessarily known for his consistency, passed his first test of the year with flying colors.
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Read More: Three Takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-20 Win Over the Baltimore Ravens
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Darryn Peterson scored 32 points, including three crucial free throws in regulation to tie the game, and No. 22 Kansas erased a double-digit deficit to outlast TCU 104-100 in overtime on Tuesday night.
Kansas (11-4, 1-1 Big 12) trailed by 16 points midway through the second half, but cut the TCU lead to three with 34 seconds left in regulation.
The Jayhawks’ next trip down the court was fruitless, leading to a foul and two free throws by TCU’s Liutauras Lelevicius. Kansas’ Flory Bidunga cut the lead back to three on a tip in with just over six seconds remaining.
After a turnover on the ensuing TCU inbounds play, the Jayhawks got the ball to Peterson, who drew a foul beyond the arc and knocked down all three free throws to tie the game at the end of regulation.
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Kansas held the lead throughout overtime and ultimately secured the game at the free-throw line, converting 9 of 11. TCU (11-4, 1-1) went 2 for 4 in the same frame. Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. scored nine of his 18 points during overtime.
Lelevicius led the Horned Frogs with a career-high 23 points. He shot 7 for 9 and hit five 3-pointers, another career high. He entered the game averaging just 8.5 points per game and shooting 35.8% from 3-point range.
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Lelevicius outscored sophomore David Punch, who recorded his 10th consecutive double-digit performance with 20 points. He also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
Tre White and Bidunga also finished in double figures for the Jayhawks, recording 22 and 16, respectively.
Up next
Kansas: Plays at West Virginia on Saturday.
TCU: Hosts Arizona on Saturday.
Find more TCU coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Kansas State football’s transfer portal needs, what to know
K-State reporter Wyatt Wheeler breaks down the Wildcats’ needs and key information ahead of the transfer portal window opening.
MANHATTAN — Right when you thought Kansas State football might be done for the day, the Wildcats landed a seventh commitment from the transfer portal on Monday, Jan. 5.
Gardner-Webb defensive tackle De’Arieun Hicks committed to K-State, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder has three years of eligibility and totaled 21 tackles, with 4.5 being for a loss in 2025.
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Hicks reportedly had a visit to Iowa State on Monday, after spending Jan. 3 with the Wildcats, and he chose to play football in Manhattan.
Hicks was a standout for the FCS program out of the Big South, playing 373 snaps and making four starts on the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ defensive line. He was the Big South’s sixth-highest graded defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus, with the league’s 12th-best pass rush grade.
Hicks totaled 10 pressures, with seven quarterback hurries and a pair of sacks across 12 games.
Out of high school in Richmond, Indiana, Hicks wasn’t given a grade by 247Sports.
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Kansas State was in desperate need of defensive linemen from the transfer portal following the departures of Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder and Andy Burburija, the latter of whom reopened his recruitment after initially signing with the Wildcats. The Wildcats also signed Adrian Bekibele, Kingston Hall and Carnell Jackson Jr. during December’s signing period.
Hicks’ size is certainly appealing, giving the Wildcats a solid prospect to develop. Given the Wildcats’ need at the position, Hicks could have an opportunity to get on the field quickly.
Hicks joins Oklahoma State running back Rodney Fields Jr., Texas A&M receiver Izaiah Williams, Illinois corner Kaleb Patterson, Oklahoma State linebacker Jacobi Oliphant, Miami (Ohio) safety Koy Beasley and Missouri offensive lineman Keiton Jones as those who committed to the Wildcats on Monday.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
An intruder was fatally shot by an armed city employee inside Lawrence City Hall in Kansas on Monday morning, officials said.
The 28-year-old man “forced his way into the building then broke through a door” on the fourth floor and into a secured area about 8 a.m., according to a police statement.
This led to an altercation with an armed city employee, Police Chief Rich Lockhart told reporters outside City Hall, about two miles north of the University of Kansas campus.
“During that altercation, the 28-year-old subject was shot and killed by the city employee,” the chief added.
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The intruder wasn’t immediately identified, and it wasn’t clear if he was armed.
Authorities didn’t immediately name the city employee or his job. But police did characterize the civil servant as “trained and authorized to carry a firearm.”
The fourth floor is home to the city manager, city attorney and budget manager.
Officials said they did not know why the man went to the fourth floor, and “it’s not someone that’s known to us,” Lockhart said.
City Hall was closed and should reopen Tuesday. A municipal court in the building won’t open again until Thursday.
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City Manager Craig Owens said he was grateful no city employees were hurt.
“I want to express my gratitude to the Lawrence, Kansas, Police Department work during the disturbing incident,” he said.
