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Chiefs 30, Bucs 24 – Bucs lose to Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9


Chiefs 30, Bucs 24 – Bucs lose to Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9

In overtime, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 30-24 to the Kansas City Chiefs after a two-yard touchdown rush by Kareem Hunt. The game depended on third down efficiency, as all four of Kansas City's touchdowns came on third down. Overall, the Bucs converted five of 11 attempts on third down, while the Chiefs completed 12 of 18. Baker Mayfield threw for 200 yards, two touchdowns and completed 23 of 31 attempts.

The Chiefs' first offensive possession was stopped by Vita Vea shortly after a third-down sack against Patrick Mahomes. Vea hit Creed Humphrey up the middle and dropped Mahomes, losing nine yards on third down. This play put the Chiefs out of field goal range and forced a punt. George Karlaftis ended the Bucs' first drive by intercepting Baker Mayfield's pass intended for Sterling Shepard on third down.

On the Chiefs' ensuing drive, DeAndre Hopkins moved the chains with a 17-yard gain off a thin upright, and Mahomes fought through on the ensuing play and found scoring space for another first down. Kansas City attempted a reverse play with speedster Xavier Worthy and Yaya Diaby dropped him in the backfield for a loss of 10 on first down. The Chiefs came close on third down, forcing a 40-yard field goal from Harrison Butker.

On the Bucs' first possession of the second quarter, Sterling Shepard completed a jet sweep for 19 yards. A few plays later, Shepard became the catalyst again on third-and-9 when he gained 13 yards on an out route. Rachaad White capped the 11-play, 70-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown. He used a stutter-step maneuver and Tristan Wirfs got the kickside block to open the scoring area for White. The Bucs took a 7-3 lead inside Arrowhead with an offensive surge.

On the Chiefs' next drive, Vita Vea hit Mahomes in the second for three. Diaby initially applied pressure and Vea ended up on 15th. Justin Watson of the Chiefs took advantage of the zone coverage for a 19-yard turnover. Mahomes worked out the delayed blitz and found Watson moving the sticks. Then DeAndre Hopkins came up vertical with an impromptu route and Mahomes dropped the pass between triple coverage and Hopkins hauled in the catch for a 35-yard gain, putting the Chiefs at Tampa Bay's three-yard line. On third down, Mahomes found Hopkins in the back of the end zone for a one-yard touchdown, giving the Chiefs a 10-7 lead.

On the following drive, Mayfield was sacked by Karlaftis and a screen to White missed the uprights, leading to a Bucs punt. On the ensuing drive for the Chiefs, Travis Kelce gained 20 yards and found the weak spot in the zone over the middle of the field. A few plays later, Kelce fumbled and Josh Hayes recovered at the Tampa Bay 45-yard line, putting Mayfield and company back in action. Mayfield picked up the first down after a quarterback draw, but a holding penalty negated the first and set up third-and-16 instead. Mayfield's ensuing scramble failed, forcing a punt. Calijah Kancey sacked Mahomes for a loss of seven to start the half.

Outside halftime, Bucky Irving returned the kickoff 46 yards to the Tampa Bay 49-yard line. Rakim Jarrett bounced off a tackle for nine yards, and Cade Otton capped the six-play drive with an 11-yard touchdown. Otton started moving and Ryan Miller cleared the way on a vertical route, giving Otton a one-on-one. He gave the Bucs a 14-10 lead in the third quarter.

The Bucs defense followed suit with a strong series. Rookie Tykee Smith forced an incompletion by edging Kelce to the middle of the field on second. On third down, Vea applied initial pressure and flushed Mahomes out of the pocket. Kancey ended the play with a sack that injured Mahomes' legs.

On the first play, Otton built momentum with an 18-yard gain. Mayfield shot the ball across the middle of the field to Otton, who took a physical hit and managed to hold on to it. A few plays later, the Bucs converted on third-and-12 when Mayfield found Otton for a 15-yard gain. Irving then pivoted on a swing pass and forced a seven-yard gain, resulting in missed tackles. Otton followed suit with a seven-yard gain on a tight end screen, setting up a 47-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin.

To open the next defensive series for the Bucs, Antoine Winfield Jr. came downhill from second and stopped Kareem Hunt before he and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka could reduce. The Chiefs were able to convert in the third when Todd Bowles sent a zero blitz and Mahomes hit Mecole Hardman for the first time. Hunt then lunged around the left guard up the middle for a 15-yard gain, putting the Chiefs at Tampa Bay's 20-yard line. Kansas City capitalized with a touchdown when Mahomes found Samaje Perine for a seven-yard touchdown to make it 17 of the game. Mahomes was injured during the play and was helped off the field by medical staff because of an ankle injury.

The Bucs offense had a quick three-pointer and subsequent punt on the next 90-second drive, and Mahomes got back into the game for Kansas City. The Chiefs converted on third-and-short when Mahomes found his go-to spot in Kelce. A few plays later, Hunt picked up the first score from fourth-and-1 to keep the drive alive. Then, on third-and-5, the middle of the field opened up for Watson and Hunt got the Chiefs to first base and the score with a nine-yard run. Mahomes found Hopkins for a five-yard touchdown that gave the home team a 24-17 lead late in the fourth quarter. This 78-yard drive ate up half the clock (8:26).

After a second-down sack by Mayfield that led to a third-and-long, the Bucs then took the lead with a three-and-out. An incompletion on third down set up the punt with just over two minutes to play. The Chiefs' offense then stalled and a drop by Perine on third-and-11 forced the punt.

On the next drive, a plus-14 for Trey Palmer and a plus-18 for Shepard brought the Bucs to the Kansas City 49-yard line. Then a nine-yard pickup to White on third down and a spinning grab to Shepard put the Bucs in a favorable position. Palmer gave the team a 19-yard first-and-goal advantage and Mayfield connected with Ryan Miller on a one-yard touchdown with :27 on the clock to tie the score at 24. After a few incompletions for Mahomes, the game was sent to overtime. Kareem Hunt plunged into the end zone on a two-yard rush to seal the Chiefs' overtime victory, 30-24.

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