Patrick Mahomes stars again as Chiefs beat the Ravens in home opener

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs had a possession early in the third quarter when Patrick Mahomes didn’t attempt a pass. The Chiefs didn’t score.

The heck with that.

Next time, they came out slinging. The end result was another Mahomes touchdown pass and the Chiefs were on their way to a 33-28 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

The Mahomes magic, mania, whatever you want to call it continued in the Chiefs’ home opener. His three touchdown passes give him 10 for the season, with no interceptions.

The scores covered ground from 14 yards to LeSean McCoy to 83 yards to Mecole Hardman as the Chiefs overcame an early six-point deficit.

At one point, the Chiefs scored 23 straight points. When the Ravens opened the second half with a touchdown, that’s when they attempted to ground out a drive on a soggy afternoon.

That didn’t work and they went back to what works best: Mahomes operating a well-designed attack that gets receivers open and protects him well.

Mahomes finished the day completing 27 of 37 for 374 yards. Sunday marked the 20th regular-season start of his career and his passer rating of 132.0 was the third-best of his career. Among his top four passer-rating games, three have occurred this season.

The game opened with the Ravens continuing the type of play that helped them carve a 2-0 record.

They entered the game leading the NFL in rushing yards and time of possession, and they took the opening kickoff and marched 84 yards in 16 plays in a drive that consumed 6 minutes, 30 seconds.

Along the way, Baltimore converted a fourth-and-3. But another fourth-down attempt later in the half backfired and helped fuel a Chiefs surge.

The Chiefs got their first score on McCoy’s 1-yard run, his first touchdown in a Kansas City uniform.

The Ravens faced a fourth-and-2 at their 47 on the next drive and Lamar Jackson’s short pass was underthrown.

The Chiefs scored again quickly, with Mahomes lofting a beautiful floater to Demarcus Robinson in the corner from 18 yards.

Robinson, who entered the season with four career touchdowns receptions, had his third in two games.

The Chiefs entered the fourth quarter with a 30-13 lead, but it wasn’t safe. Baltimore came up with a touchdown and field goal on successive possessions. When the Chiefs took over with about 6 ½ minutes remaining, the margin was eight, 30-22.

But on the first snap, the Chiefs got a season-long 41-yard run from Darrel Williams, the only veteran running back remaining with injuries to Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy. Damien Williams didn’t play and McCoy didn’t finish the game.

The drive ended with Harrison Butker’s 36-yard field goal with 4:36 remaining to restore a two-score advantage.

After the Ravens scored to close the gap to 33-28, kicker Justin Tucker attempted a pop-up drop kick for the onsides kick. Hardman alertly waved his arm for the fair catch.

The Chiefs faced a third-and-9 from their 37, and then they did what do best: called a pass play for Mahomes. His completion to Darrel Williams went for 16 yards to clinch the game.