KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clanks for the reminiscences.
New kicker Matthew Wright lifted the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs to a 19-17 victory over the Chargers on Sunday evening with a 31-yard discipline aim that miraculously ricocheted by means of the uprights.
One other wild journey for the Chiefs, who secured their ninth consecutive AFC West title with a well-known cover-your-eyes end.
“Seems like games are getting closer and closer,” Kansas Metropolis linebacker Drue Tranquill mentioned. “You’ve got to find a way to win those.”
However that is getting ridiculous. The Chiefs’ final 4 victories have been by a mixed 9 factors. They knocked off Denver, Carolina, Las Vegas and the Chargers and simply may have misplaced any of these.
Of their final 15 video games determined by a landing or much less, the Chiefs are 15-0.
The Chargers, in the meantime, are the picture unfavorable. They’re winless of their final 11 video games determined by three factors or fewer. They haven’t received a kind of in two seasons.
Coach Jim Harbaugh celebrated his Chargers’ comeback within the second half earlier than the Chiefs prevailed in the long run.
(Charlie Riedel / Related Press)
The Chargers may need a pinpoint quarterback in Justin Herbert, however they lack a killer intuition. That’s an unchecked field on coach Jim Harbaugh’s to-do checklist.
Think about the way in which Sunday evening’s recreation unfolded down the stretch:
A Cameron Dicker discipline aim gave the Chargers a one-point lead with 4 minutes, 35 seconds remaining, however the guests would by no means contact the ball once more.
The Chiefs acquired an enormous increase when Dicker botched the following kickoff, booting a knuckleball that failed to succeed in the touchdown zone, thereby permitting Kansas Metropolis to start the ultimate drive on its 40-yard line.
Patrick Mahomes performed keep-away the remainder of the sport. He methodically guided the offense down the sphere, compelling the Chargers to make use of all three of their timeouts.
And on the play after the 2-minute warning, with the Chargers unable to cease the clock, Mahomes transformed a third-and-seven with a nine-yard cross to All-Professional tight finish Travis Kelce. He had discovered a comfortable spot within the protection and dropped to the bottom, catching the ball whereas on each knees.
“That was a play where you give Pat the ability to get out of the pocket and make a play with his arm or his legs,” Kelce mentioned. “We’ve got to find a way to get a first down, so I just improvised a little bit after the initial route, and Pat was right on cue to get it to me.”
Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce, who had 5 catches together with a key one within the fourth quarter for a primary down, is tackled by Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Nonetheless after a reception.
(Charlie Riedel / Related Press)
Improvise just a little bit?
“He was supposed to run a corner route, so…” deadpanned the quarterback, understanding Kelce ran nothing of the type.
However that’s the place expertise kicks in. Shut video games or not, the Chiefs have gamers who know the best way to come by means of after they’re wanted and slam the door. Bear in mind, 3 times within the final 4 years, Kansas Metropolis overcame 10-point deficits to win the Tremendous Bowl.
Mahomes may needle Kelce for operating the mistaken route but having all the pieces prove proper, however the two have immense respect for one another.
“Without getting emotional, he’s a guy who really kind of made me who I am in my career,” mentioned Mahomes, a two-time NFL Most Worthwhile Participant. “True security blanket. He’s someone I can go to at any moment and he’s going to make a big play happen.”
On the identical evening the tight finish’s celebrity girlfriend, Taylor Swift, completed her two-year Eras Tour in Vancouver, B.C., Kelce reached 12,000 yards receiving in fewer video games (172) than anybody in league historical past.
“He plays on the same wavelength that I do, and it’s hard to do that,” Mahomes mentioned. “It seems like since that first day I’ve kind of been on the same page as Trav. Seeing him work every day, everybody sees the personality and on TV and stuff like that. But you don’t see the everyday work ethic that he has. He’s a guy that gets mad when they take him out of practice reps.”
That sort of stuff is contagious in a group setting. The Chiefs anticipate to win shut video games. They’ve received three video games this season with walk-off discipline targets — and by three totally different kickers.
The final time one other franchise received the AFC West was 2015, when Peyton Manning guided the Denver Broncos to a division crown (and eventual Tremendous Bowl win).
These items doesn’t occur accidentally. The Chiefs may seem to be they’re teetering on a tightrope each week, tempting destiny. However there’s a science to it. They win. That’s what they do.
