New season, same old results.  Once again the Chiefs lost a game in the fourth quarter after battling their way back to tie not only take the lead in the second half, but tie the game twice.  Joe Flacco’s 31 yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes to play and a late Willis McGahee touchdown gave the Baltimore Ravens a 38-24 win over Kansas City.

Ryan Succop’s 53 yard field goal in the fourth quarter tied the game at 17 and Brodie Croyle led the Chiefs on a six play, 80 yard drive capped by a 10 yard touchdown pass to tight end Sean Ryan tied the game at 24-24, but Baltimore was able to move down the field in 8 plays for a total of 74 yards for the decisive touchdown.

The Chiefs were just awful in the first half offensively as the trend from the preseason continued.  Kansas City managed just one first down and that came at the two minute warning.  Before Croyle’s 11 yard pass to Bobby Engram, the Chiefs had accumulated 14 total yards.

Baltimore found ways to keep the Chiefs in the game.  Up 10-0, the Chiefs blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone to make it 10-7.  In the second half, Derrick Johnson, who lost his starting job at linebacker, intercepted a Flacco pass and took it down to the Ravens six as he sprinted down the sideline.

Three plays later, Croyle found Dwayne Bowe for a two yard pass and the Chiefs were up 14-10 with 59 yards of offense.  Flacco came right back to drive Baltimore down for a nine yard pass to tight end Todd Heap and the Ravens were back on top. 

I have to give some credit to the Chiefs offense for finally putting some drives together especially late in this game to tie the game up twice.  However, the defense which really played tough all game and kept the Chiefs in it early on, let Flacco and McGahee cruise down the field late in the game.

Down by seven, Croyle was sacked and was ruled to have fumbled the ball, but the call was overturned.  Deep in their own territory, Croyle threw three more incomplete passes and Baltimore took  over inside the 15 and ran the clock out and scored with seconds remaining on a fourth and goal from the one.

Croyle finished 16 of 24 for 177 yards and two touchdowns and despite facing a lot of pressure, he never turned the ball over.  This was a game that clearly looked like Baltimore dominated from the beginning, but it just goes to show how special teams and turnovers play such a big part in changing the complex of a game.