Chiefs gets dramatic win over Ravens to start season; expert picks for NFL Week 1 and college football Week 2

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🏈 Good morning to everyone, but especially to …

THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The Chiefs have been on the right side of razor-thin margins during their magical run to two straight Super Bowls. And as they go for an unprecedented third, that trend continued. Isaiah Likely landed just a toe or two out of bounds at the back of the end zone with no time left, and Kansas City held on for a wild 27-20 win over the Ravens Thursday night.

The rest of the season has a lot to live up to.

• So I guess there’s nothing to this NFL thing for Xavier Worthy, huh? The first-round rookie scored on a 21-yard rush on his first NFL touch, and he added a 35-yard touchdown catch later. He joins Rick Upchurch and James Brim as the only wide receivers with a touchdown rushing and a touchdown receiving in their NFL debut.
• Patrick Mahomes passed Len Dawson for most yards passing in franchise history, and he did it in just over half the games Dawson played for the team.
• The defense bent but didn’t break and did an especially good job against Derrick Henry (46 yards rushing).
• Mahomes improved to 5-1 against Lamar Jackson. He’s the only quarterback with more than three wins against Jackson.

After a frustrating year offensively, Kansas City showed major improvements, Jared Dubin notes.

• Dubin: “Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco and Justin Watson each had catches of 20-plus yards, with many of them coming outside the structure of the offense. If you’re looking for reasons to believe in Kansas City being even better this year than last, the opener was a great sign.”

😄 Honorable mentions

🏈 And not such a good morning for …

THE BALTIMORE RAVENS

John Harbaugh had the two fingers up. The Ravens were going to go for two. They were going to try to win.

They never got the chance. Game of inches, indeed.

Jackson put the team on his back with 273 yards passing and another 122 rushing, but he went 1 for 8 passing in the red zone and 0 for 5 in goal-to-go situations (including 0 for 3 on the final drive). In order to beat the Chiefs, you have to be nearly perfect. Jackson was awfully good, but not good enough.

So close yet so far, once again. 

😰 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 NFL Week 1 picks, best games, plus bold predictions

One down, 271 to go! The NFL season has kicked off, and it continues tonight in a rare Friday-night showdown as the Packers and Eagles get set of face off in the first NFL game played in Brazil.

This is an absolutely awesome game, a truly elite matchup between an emerging Packers squad that hopes Jordan Love takes the next step and a talented Eagles team looking to show they belong right back in the Super Bowl conversation after a tough finish to last season. Will Brinson’s best bets say …

• Brinson: “Packers (+2) — I think they come out of the gates hot on Friday night with a newish-look offense centered around Josh Jacobs and a physical run game with Love distributing the ball to myriad playmakers. Add in the fact the Eagles are adjusting to a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore and won’t have Jason Kelce or Fletcher Cox on the field for the first time in forever and, well, I think we could see a slow start for Philly against a Packers team prepared for a Super Bowl run.”

Sunday, one of my favorite matchups is C.J. Stroud‘s Texans against Anthony Richardson‘s Colts. These are two young, exciting quarterbacks, and Tyler Sullivan says …

• Sullivan: “I have serious questions about Richardson. At times, he looks like he could break the NFL and be an instant MVP candidate. And then there are other moments where I question his chances of staying in the league due to his still-developing passing ability. Do you know who I don’t have questions about? Stroud. Projected score: Texans 27, Colts 17 | The pick: Texans -2.5“

Here are all of our experts’ picks:

Pete Prisco | Will Brinson | Tyler Sullivan | John Breech | Jordan Dajani

I’ll give you three picks as well. Give me …

• Dolphins over Jaguars
• Seahawks over Broncos
• Chargers over Raiders

Finally, to put a bow on our season preview …

🏈 College football Week 2 picks, previews

After a loaded Week 1, college football offers plenty more fun in Week 2, led by No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan (preview) to open Saturday. Dennis Dodd details two programs in very different places.

• Dodd: “Texas is looking forward. Certain folks at Michigan are checking their rear view. … The Wolverines come into Saturday’s game with some quarterback contretemps. Junior Alex Orji didn’t win the job. Davis Warren, as inspiring as he is, must prove he can hold onto it. … Texas began the season with arguably the best quarterback room in the country [Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning].”

The only other ranked-vs.-ranked matchup is No. 14 Tennessee at No. 24 NC State (preview), and Tom Fornelli has his best bet in the Six Pack.

• Fornelli: “I am in love with Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava and feel no shame about it. The kid is an incredible blend of talent and performance, and to see how poised and polished he looks with so little experience is eye-opening. … He gives me the kind of vibes I had when watching guys like Andrew Luck, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow and Caleb Williams. … The Pick: Tennessee -7.5 (-114)“

Moving to an unranked but intriguing matchup, Colorado heads to Nebraska (preview) with the Deion Sander-Matt Rhule tension having quieted down. Brandon Marcello also has a great look at the “Prime Effect” on the Colorado community.

Here’s more:

⚽ Alex Morgan announces retirement

Alex Morgan, a two-time World Cup champion and one-time Olympic gold medalist with the USWNT, announced her retirement on social media.

You can watch Morgan’s final professional game, for San Diego Wave against the North Carolina Courage, on Sunday at 8 p.m. on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

📺 What we’re watching this weekend

Friday

🎾 US Open, 3 p.m. on ESPN+
🏈 BYU at SMU, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏈 Packers vs. Eagles, 8:15 p.m. on Peacock

Saturday

🏈 No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan, noon on Fox
🏈 Arkansas at No. 16 Oklahoma State, noon on ABC
🏈 No. 17 Kansas State at Tulane, noon on ESPN
🏈 Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa, 3:30 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+
🏈 Baylor at No. 11 Utah, 3:30 p.m. on Fox
🎾 US Open, 4 p.m. on ESPN+
⚽ USMNT vs. Canada, 4 p.m. on TBS
🏈 No. 19 Kansas at Illinois, 7 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Twins at Royals OR White Sox at Red Sox, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
🏈 No. 14 Tennessee at No. 24 NC State, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 Colorado at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Mercury at Storm, 9 p.m. on NBA TV

Sunday

🏈 Cardinals at Bills, 1 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+
🏈 Texans at Colts, 1 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+
🏈 Jaguars at Dolphins, 1 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+
🏈 Titans at Bears, 1 p.m. on Fox
🎾 US Open, 2 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Aces at Liberty, 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Cowboys at Browns, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
⚾ Diamondbacks at Astros, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Wave vs. Courage, 8 p.m. on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏈 Rams at Lions, 8:20 p.m. on NBC