Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt burst into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdowns for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two scores in the fourth quarter and took a 24-17 lead with 4:17 to go. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds left.
Tampa Bay (4-5) opted to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than going for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the toss was heads. Mahomes took the ball, he went 5-for-5 and capped their drive in overtime, and Hunt capped his 106-yard rushing day with the game-clinching TD dive.
Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 through last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champions starting 8-0 the following season.
Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two touchdowns passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five. Mahomes, who has a history of corner injuries, had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter before returning to the game. Mahomes said after the game that he will be available for Sunday’s matchup with the Denver Broncos.
“I sprained my ankle…we have a short week, but we’ll rehab it and I’ll be ready to go next week,” Mahomes said.
Meanwhile, it was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about ten minutes from the stadium, but his family could never afford a ticket to see a game. He ended up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he was ultimately a third-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.
Two years later, White finally reached Arrowhead – and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring streak in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly throwing the football into the second deck.
Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City following a trade with the Titans. The three-time All-Pro, who had already caught four passes, hauled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain on the Tampa Bay five. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from Remember the Titans.
Tampa Bay tried to take control with back-to-back scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the final tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.
The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them 70 yards through the rain for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and straining his left ankle, then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal to give Kansas City the lead.
Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but their defense got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down the field. He capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller – his first career TD catch – with 27 seconds left, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.