Isaiah Likely’s night went from bad to worse in Kansas City on Thursday.
After the Baltimore Ravens tight end was ejected for a touchdown catch in the final seconds of the game that allowed for the tying goal, Likely was caught yelling obscenities at Chiefs fans as he walked to the locker rooms following the 27-20 loss.
“F*** you, b****,” the 25-year-old Likely shouted to fans as he entered the tunnel at Arrowhead Stadium.
And Likely wasn’t done there. During a post-game press conference, the Coastal Carolina product decided to take a dig at the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion.
“If this is the best they’ve gotten,” Likely said of the Chiefs, “good luck in the playoffs.”
Isaiah Likely on the Chiefs: ‘If this is the best they’ve got… good luck in the postseason’
Isaiah Likely had some nice words for Kansas City Chiefs fans as he left the field
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) catches a pass with his toe out of bounds
Less than an hour earlier, Likely put the finishing touches on a great game, with nine catches for 111 yards and a touchdown.
But the night will be remembered for what could have happened if Likely’s big toe had stayed in bounds on the final play of the game.
The final play, however, went straight to video review, and the evidence was clear: the tight end’s toe landed on the endline, knocking him out of bounds. The pass was incomplete. The game was over. And disappointment set in quickly.
It was a 27-20 loss, Jackson’s fifth in six tries against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and a loss only surpassed by the Ravens’ 17-10 defeat on a cold January night with the Super Bowl in sight.
“I believe everybody in our program — coaches, trainers, equipment guys, women and men in the cafeteria, and certainly the players,” Jackson said. “For us to lose to those guys the way we lost, even though I don’t want to, I can’t be mad at my guys.”
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and the team are seen watching Likely
Jackson has long been one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, winning his second MVP award after last season. And he’s proven his worth not just in the big games, but against some of the league’s best quarterbacks. He went 2-0 against Tom Brady before retiring and won four of his five games against Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
Still, it seems like he can’t beat Mahomes and the Chiefs, no matter how much magic he shows on the court.
For most of Thursday’s NFL opener, Jackson had another night to forget against them. His rebuilt offensive line was called for illegal formation three times in the first seven plays, and it completely collapsed two series later, when Jackson was stripped deep in his own territory by Chris Jones to set up an easy field goal for the Chiefs.
“Every time we were close to having an explosive play, we got a penalty right after,” Jackson said. “It’s hard to get into a groove.”
He only found his feet in the last two series, when Jackson started playing sandlot football.
First, he completed a 12-play, 56-yard drive to set up Justin Tucker’s field goal that pulled the Ravens within a touchdown with 4:54 left in the game. And when the league’s No. 1 scoring defense forced a quick punt last season, Jackson got one more chance.
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) runs past Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook
He kept getting to Likely and Jackson used his feet when needed, including a scramble on third-and-2 that gave the Ravens another set of downs. Three plays later, he saw Rashod Bateman sprint down the Kansas City sideline for a 38-yard completion that put them at the Chiefs’ 10-yard line with 19 seconds left.
“I thought his last drive was great,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.
Jackson’s first shot into the end zone was a throw-away with no one open, but Jackson appeared to miss Zay Flowers open in the back on the next play. With four seconds left, Jackson was under pressure but found enough space to keep the play alive and get Likely open in the back of the end zone.
The throw was a bit too high, but Likely thought he had caught the ball. So did Jackson, who turned to see Harbaugh signal the Baltimore offense to stay on the field for a game-winning 2-point conversion.
The play had already been reviewed on video, but the Ravens never got that chance.
“I thought we did a great job,” Jackson said, “but you know, just the red zone, the 10-yard line — well, that’s it.”