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Patrick Mahomes survives injury scare to lead undefeated Chiefs to OT victory over Bucs | NFL


Patrick Mahomes survives injury scare to lead undefeated Chiefs to OT victory over Bucs | NFL

Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns and Kareem Hunt hit 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 TD receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain and scored two points in the fourth quarter to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. 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) chose to take the extra point and force overtime rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin toss came up heads. Mahomes took the ball, he passed 5 of 5 in overtime and Hunt capped his 106-yard rushing day with the game-winning TD plunge.

Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards and Hopkins finished the game with eight catches for 86 yards, pushing the Chiefs' winning streak to 14 since last season. They were the sixth Super Bowl champions, starting the following season 8-0.

Mayfield finished the game with 200 yards and two touchdowns for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five. Mahomes, who has suffered from angle injuries in the past, had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter before returning to the game. Mahomes said after the game that he would be available for Sunday's meeting with the Denver Broncos.

“I twisted my ankle…we have a short week ahead of us, 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 10 minutes from the stadium, but his family could never afford a ticket to a game. He took a detour via Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became 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 run in the second quarter that 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 after a trade with the Titans. The three-time All-Pro, who had already caught four passes, caught Mahomes on a third-down pass in triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone and Hopkins celebrated his first Chiefs touchdown with a Remember the Titans dance.

Tampa Bay tried to take control early in the second half with consecutive shots on goal. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the last tight end, that destroyed the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin's 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.

The Chiefs responded in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them 70 yards through the rain for a crucial touchdown pass, which he threw to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal to give Kansas City the lead bring to.

Tampa Bay immediately scored a three-pointer, but their defense immediately got the ball 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 touchdown catch — with 27 seconds left, and Tampa Bay opted for overtime.

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