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Who is playing? What time is the game? How can you watch? What can you expect? Bruce Clark breaks down all of these questions.
Fans are gearing up for the season's first kickoff after a very long offseason. It's been a while since last year's Super Bowl ended, so the 2024 season couldn't come fast enough.
It should be an exciting matchup as well. Usually, the kickoff game to open the season is an incredibly competitive matchup as ten of the last 15 opening games were decided by one possession. This season's matchup is tasty, as we are getting a rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.
In this piece, expect a breakdown of the inaugural 2024 game, highlighting the matchups, start times, and key players to watch.
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Who is Playing on Thursday Night Football?
As mentioned above, the NFL gave us an absolute meal with the Ravens traveling to Kansas City. Both teams competed with a chance at the Super Bowl on the line in the playoffs last season, where Kansas City won by a touchdown. The Ravens have added All-Universe running back Derrick Henry to their offensive attack this offseason, bringing power and size to an attack that is headed by reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. Combine that with their incredible defense from last season, and Baltimore is a pretty formidable foe for Week 1.
1- Jet Dive is one of the concepts that can utilize the skills of Derrick Henry and can deploy Andrews/Likely on the same side of the formation. Monken also used 11 Pers. to run the Jet/Dive scheme successfully in 2023.#Ravens #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/vDLbEbrMkc
— All 22 Films (@All_22_NFL_Cuts) September 3, 2024
As for Kansas City, the Chiefs are coming off of their second consecutive Super Bowl win and still have perhaps the best quarterback and head coach of all time in Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. The Chiefs have also added speed on the outside, as they spent their first-round pick on uber-athletic Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
Xavier Worthy looks "exactly like what's been missing" for the Chiefs offense 🔥@StevePalazzolo_ and @SamMonsonNFL discuss the similarities between Worthy and Tyreek Hill 👀 https://t.co/g6OBhKvzpR pic.twitter.com/Clu4gAiHON
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) September 2, 2024
When and How Can I Watch The Game?
The 2024 NFL Kickoff game is scheduled for 8:20 pm Eastern. In terms of how you can watch -- well, it depends on how you typically consume television.
If you have cable or satellite, you can watch the season's first game on NBC or on the NBC app (requiring a cable log-in), hosted by the Sunday Night Football crew. If you're a bit of a cord-cutter, the game will be broadcast on the Peacock app as well, starting at a monthly rate of $7.99 or an annual rate of $79.99.
Additionally, if you have streaming options that also serve as live television viewing (such as Hulu+ or YouTubeTV), NBC is usually streamable. Costs on those apps vary.
Who is Going to Win?
It’s Chiefs Week for the Ravens
Get FIRED up pic.twitter.com/i3nmRTSQ4X
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) September 2, 2024
Vegas has the betting line set as the Chiefs being favored by three points in this matchup of AFC heavyweights.
A solid argument could be made for either team. For the Ravens, they were exceedingly close to beating the Chiefs last postseason despite being dominated in time of possession and having three turnovers. If Baltimore's defense looks like last year's team, they are going to be a tough one for Kansas City to navigate against. The Chiefs have been weaker against the run in recent years than the pass, which could lean in the Ravens' favor with Jackson and Henry being a potentially devastating combination.
Alternatively, the Chiefs have Mahomes and the championship pedigree and want to be the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, and starting strong would help set the tone for the season. Kansas City also has a very strong pass rush, which could take advantage of the weaker offensive line the Ravens are going to be trotting out this year compared to last. The game should be an exciting way to start the 2024 NFL season.
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