By Matt McMullen – Chiefs.com Reporter
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-25, in a game that came down to the final moments on Sunday afternoon.
Trailing by two points with just three seconds remaining in the game, Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker connected on a go-ahead, 51-yard field goal that sealed the win for Kansas City as time expired in regulation.
Butker’s kick sent Kansas City home victorious despite a performance that included three giveaways, a 1-for-8 mark on third down and some costly penalties that took place in crucial situations, but in the end, the Chiefs found a way to overcome it all to secure a second-straight victory to open the year.
“We didn’t play as clean as we wanted to and still found a way to win,” said quarterback Patrick Mahomes. “That speaks to the defense and the full, entire team.”
Indeed, Sunday’s win took a total team effort amidst a back-and-forth battle that saw the Chiefs and Bengals exchange the lead on multiple occasions. Cincinnati possessed a seven-point advantage early in the second quarter, but Mahomes quickly erased that lead when he found wide receiver Rashee Rice for a 44-yard touchdown deep down the sideline.
The Bengals answered with a pair of field goals over the remainder of the second quarter, but Mahomes then re-claimed the lead for Kansas City when he connected with offensive tackle Wanya Morris for a 1-yard score early in the second half.
The play, which featured Morris posing as an additional blocker before leaking through the Bengals’ coverage and into the end zone, marked the first touchdown of his young career.
“When you’re that open, sometimes you can freak out,” Reid said. “He secured it [though], and it was all good. That was great.”
The play provided Kansas City with a one-point advantage, but Cincinnati proceeded to take the lead right back when Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow found wide receiver Andrei Iosivas for a 3-yard touchdown on their ensuing drive. The score, which took place on fourth down, marked Iosivas’ second touchdown catch of the day.
Cincinnati, leading by five points, then picked off Mahomes on the Chiefs’ ensuing series, but only three snaps later, Chiefs’ defensive end Mike Danna stripped the ball free from Burrow, and safety Chamarri Conner scooped it up for a 38-yard, go-ahead touchdown.
It was part of a tremendous game for Conner, who later sacked Burrow on third down late in the fourth quarter. The play forced the Bengals, who tallied a go-ahead field goal immediately after Conner’s touchdown, to punt the ball away with just two minutes and 35 seconds left in the game.
The Chiefs soon found themselves in a long fourth down situation on their ensuing possession, but a pass interference call extended the drive and set Butker up with a potential game-winning, 51-yard field goal attempt. Butker came through, and following a wild game that featured a slew of momentum swings throughout the contest, Kansas City emerged with the win.
It was another example of the Chiefs’ trademark resiliency under Mahomes, who matched Tom Brady and Roger Staubach for the most quarterback wins (76) through 100 career starts in NFL history on Sunday.
“Until the time hits zero, I feel like there’s a chance that [we] can win the football game,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, we’ve done that in so many different ways, so we’re prepared. We come in with that mentality that if we get the football with the chance to win the game, we’re going to do it, and we were able to do that today.”
In terms of injuries, running back Isiah Pacheco was the only player to leave the game early for Kansas City. Reid provided a brief update on Pacheco’s status following the victory.
“We’ll just have to see. He’s having some tests done on it now – X-rays and all that stuff,” Reid said. “I don’t have anything for you on what exactly it is, but he came out with an ankle [injury].”
The Chiefs will now turn the page to a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons next weekend on Sunday Night Football.
