Was there ever any doubt?
The Kansas City Chiefs, the very best workforce within the NFL this season at successful shut video games, clinched their ninth consecutive AFC West division title and proceed to regulate their path to the AFC’s prime playoff seed by prevailing 19-17 in a back-and-forth “Sunday Night Football” matchup in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Their streak of division titles is the second-longest in NFL historical past, trailing solely the 11 straight New England received from 2009 to 2019.
The Chiefs (12-1) improved to 10-0 in video games determined by one rating or much less this season. They have additionally received 15 consecutive one-possession video games courting to final season, together with the playoffs.
After the Chargers (8-5) kicked a discipline aim to steer 17-16 with 4:35 left within the fourth quarter, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes marched his workforce down the sphere and prolonged the drive with a key third-down completion to tight finish Travis Kelce with two minutes remaining.
From there, Kansas City acquired the ball in place for Matthew Wright to kick a 31-yard-field aim for the win — a kick that bounced off the left upright however at an angle that despatched the ball nonetheless by way of the goalposts.
Chargers gamers held their helmets of their arms on the sphere. Wright, the third kicker utilized by Kansas City this season, made all 4 of his discipline aim makes an attempt.
The Chargers trailed 13-0 at halftime however took the lead with 14 factors within the third quarter. The groups would mix for 5 lead adjustments But Mahomes in the end walked off a winner, as he so typically has.
He is 35-5 in opposition to AFC West opponents in his profession, the very best successful proportion in divisional video games in NFL historical past with a minimal of 30 begins. And Mahomes has notably bedeviled the Chargers, enhancing to 10-2 in his profession.
Facing a Chargers protection that enables the fewest factors per sport, Mahomes threw for 210 yards and one landing whereas being sacked 3 times. Kelce caught 5 passes for 45 yards.
“SNF“ blog: Look back at how the game unfolded
After the Chargers failed to attain on all six of their first-half drives, quarterback Justin Herbert was surgical after halftime, main his workforce to factors on all three of its drives within the second half. He accomplished 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards and a landing whereas additionally being sacked 3 times. Yet like each different Chiefs opponent this season that has discovered itself in a detailed sport late, the Chargers might solely watch as Mahomes willed his workforce to a win within the last seconds.
Around the league
- Josh Allen had one of many biggest video games in NFL historical past and nonetheless misplaced. The Buffalo Bills quarterback threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for an additional three touchdowns — the primary time in NFL historical past that has occurred — and it wasn’t adequate as his workforce fell 44-42 to the Los Angeles Rams. Buffalo dropped to 10-3, whereas Los Angeles improved to 7-6.
- For those that wish to low cost the 11-2 Minnesota Vikings, accomplish that at your personal peril. On Sunday they demolished the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 in opposition to former quarterback Kirk Cousins. Vikings sign caller Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and 5 touchdowns — three to Jordan Addison and two to Justin Jefferson — en path to the convincing victory.
- Two beginning quarterbacks left video games early: New Orleans’ Derek Carr and Las Vegas’ Aiden O’Connell. Carr sustained a left hand harm and a possible concussion within the fourth quarter of a 14-11 win in opposition to the New York Giants. O’Connell, in the meantime, was carted off with a knee harm within the third quarter of the Raiders’ 28-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
