The Kansas City Chiefs’ performance on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be seen as a reflection of their entire season so far.
They made mistakes, turned the ball over, missed tackles on defense, and allowed a team they were expected to beat easily to stay close until the very end of regulation. But in the end, they won anyway.
The Buccaneers gave Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs one more shot in overtime after they chose to kick the extra point and tie the game following their touchdown with 27 seconds left. The Chiefs then scored a touchdown on their next possession, winning 30-24.
This victory pushed the Chiefs to an 8-0 record, making them just the sixth defending Super Bowl champion in history to remain undefeated.
Their wins have been by very narrow margins, averaging only a 7.0-point victory per game, which is the smallest margin among the 41 teams in NFL history to win their first eight games.
The previous record for the smallest average margin was 7.4 points, set by the Colts in 2006, and they went on to win the Super Bowl that year.
“Against a team with an offense like that,” Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said, “you can only give them so many chances.”
More specifically, you can only give Mahomes so many chances. Mahomes had been playing relatively quietly in the first seven games of the season, throwing an interception in each.
However, with the addition of three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, acquired from the Titans in a trade, Mahomes was back to his explosive style of play. He threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns against the Bucs, with Hopkins catching two of them.
“Pat and I just out there making plays,” Hopkins said after the game.
As he has done many times before with various wide receivers, Patrick Mahomes played like his old self against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He led the Chiefs on two long fourth-quarter touchdown drives, giving them the lead with 4:17 left, despite dealing with a sore ankle.
And when Baker Mayfield and the Bucs tied the game and forced overtime with their touchdown in the final minute, Mahomes was perfect in the extra period, completing all five of his passes. He helped set up Kareem Hunt’s game-winning touchdown.
Mahomes now has a 47-19 record in games decided by a touchdown or less, including playoffs. The only quarterback with a better record in at least 30 such games is Daryle Lamonica, who went 24-5-6 in his 12 years with Buffalo and Oakland.
Still, Mahomes is quick to say that all those victories are a team effort. The Chiefs’ defense remains one of the top units in the NFL, especially against the run, and Hunt’s addition has helped them maintain some balance on offense.
This has all led to a perfect start as the Chiefs chase an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title.
The Chiefs’ passing game has really come together, mostly because of Hopkins, who caught eight passes for 86 yards in just his second game with Kansas City.
Even when Hopkins wasn’t catching passes on Monday night, the Buccaneers had to focus on him, which opened things up for Travis Kelce. Kelce caught 14 passes — his most ever in a regular-season game — for 100 yards.
