NFL Kickoff Game: Important Facts and Figures Before the Ravens-Chiefs Game

Football is back and the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game will feature two familiar opponents on Thursday night when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens.

In a rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship Game, Kansas City chases history and strives to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, while Baltimore looks to spoil the party.

As if that wasn’t enough, this opening game features a record-breaking quarterback duel: Patrick Mahomes versus Lamar Jackson – the first time two multiple MVP winners under 30 have faced each other in Week 1.

Kansas City is playing its fourth NFL Kickoff game, tying the New England Patriots for the most times they’ve played – 2004, 2005, 2015 and 2017. The Patriots are 3-1 in those games, with their only loss coming in 2017, and they have the most wins in opening games. Who did they lose to? The Chiefs, who can tie the Patriots with a win on Thursday.

Here are notable facts about the NFL’s annual kickoff game.

How many times has the reigning Super Bowl winner lost?

The defending Super Bowl champions have lost just five times when competing in the kickoff game since 2004. The Chiefs are the second team to play in the game two years in a row – the Patriots are the other.

The NFL’s Kickoff Game began in 2002 when the San Francisco 49ers took on the New York Giants. Since then, it has become a tradition, although it has evolved into what the league now calls “Kickoff Weekend.”

A loss to Baltimore would be Kansas City’s second consecutive season-opening loss and the third in a row for a defending Super Bowl champion – the Los Angeles Rams lost in 2022. It would be the first time since 1981-83 that the defending Super Bowl champions lost their season-opening game in three consecutive seasons.

Which teams scored the most points together?

The 2013 meeting between the Denver Broncos and the Ravens includes several NFL kickoff records, including the most points scored by either team – 76. The 2011 meeting between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints also saw a total of 76 points scored.

Denver beat Baltimore 49-27 thanks to a great game by Peyton Manning. The quarterback threw 462 passing yards and seven touchdowns, both records for the opening game. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco also set a record. He had 62 passing attempts, the most ever, but only 34 successful passes, as well as 362 passing yards and two touchdowns and interceptions each.

Which team had the most attacks overall?

In a game in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Kansas City defeated New England in the 2017 season opener. The Chiefs totaled 537 yards of offense, more than in any other NFL kickoff game, and won 42-27.

Then-Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns, while Tyreek Hill caught seven passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Kareem Hunt ran for 148 yards, the most rushing yards in an NFL kickoff game.

In his 18th season, Tom Brady had problems with 267 passing yards and not a single touchdown.

When was the last time the reigning Super Bowl champion was absent?

Since 2002, every NFL kickoff game has featured the reigning Super Bowl champion, with the exception of 2019.

The NFL decided on a classic duel to kick off its 100th anniversary season: the Green Bay Packers met the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The encounter was historic, but only resulted in a few points.

The Packers won 10-3 in a game that featured just one touchdown – an 8-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Jimmy Graham – and 467 yards. The next year they faced the Chiefs, who had won the Super Bowl the previous season.

ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this story.