KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
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It was third-and-7 approaching the midpoint of overtime, which made it do or die for the Kansas City Chiefs, who entered Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts in must-win mode after losing at Buffalo and at Denver on either side of a Week 10 bye.
Patrick Mahomes needed time for the routes from the three-receiver stack to the right of the formation to develop.
When speedy second-year receiver Xavier Worthy flashed open deep down the left seam, Mahomes fired the pass, but it was behind Worthy, who flipped around for a 30-yard catch that powered Kansas City into field-goal range for the game-winning kick in overtime.
The Chiefs trailed at half for the third time this season, but rallied from the 14-9 hole — their first halftime comeback of the season — with 11 fourth-quarter points en route to a season-saving 23-20 victory.
Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal with 1:56 left in OT moved Kansas City to 6-5 on the season with a Thanksgiving afternoon showdown at the Dallas Cowboys awaiting on a short week.
Butker had five field goals — which is tied for the second-most in his career, a feat he’s achieved six times in his career now — in the win.
Mahomes finished 29 of 46 for a season-high 352 yards, the most he’s had in a game since throwing for 424 on Oct. 22, 2023, against the Los Angeles Chargers.
RED-ZONE WOES
Entering the game, the Chiefs ranked sixth in the NFL, converting nearly two of every three red-zone trips into touchdowns.
The Indianapolis defense, which entered Week 12 ranked 25th in preventing touchdowns in the red zone (62.9%), got the better of Kansas City on both red-zone trips in the first half.
Trailing 20-9 early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs reached the red zone again before a Kareem Hunt fumble erased any scoring chance.
Meanwhile, the Colts only converted half of their four red-zone trips into touchdowns, but came away with two touchdowns and 20 total points in building a 20-9 fourth-quarter lead.
Kansas City finished 1 for 6 on red-zone drives in regulation, including overtime, with four short Butker field goals and that rare Hunt fumble.
RARE HUNT FUMBLE
Hunt — who finished with 30 carries for 104 yards, becoming the first 100-yard rusher since he had 106 against Tampa Bay last season — famously fumbled on the first snap of his NFL career.
During a four-year college career at Toledo, Hunt never lost a fumble in 855 touches, but his streak ended immediately as a pro.
He had 1,590 touches on offense since coughing up the football in the season opener on Sept. 7, 2017, at New England before an early fourth-quarter carry Sunday against the Colts.
As Hunt, who had five other NFL fumbles that were all recovered by the offense, somersaulted over a defender, linebacker Zaire Franklin punched the ball free, and former Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward recovered the ball at the 6-yard line.
Hunt atoned on the next drive, taking flight for a 2-yard touchdown.
Kansas City drew within 20-17 after Patrick Mahomes found Rashee Rice in the back of the end zone with a frozen rope for a two-point conversion.
OFFENSE WASTES EARLY OPPORTUNITIES
The penalty-prone Colts — who were flagged for three penalties on the seven-play, game-opening drive — won the toss and took the ball to start the game.
It seemed like an ideal start for the Chiefs, even if the drive started at the 4-yard line after a special-teams penalty, until defensive end Laiatu Latu tipped Mahomes’ first pass into the air and intercepted it.
Two plays later, Daniel Jones fired a 6-yard strike to Michael Pittman at the goal line as Indianapolis grabbed an early lead anyway.
After throwing only two interceptions in Kansas City’s first seven games, Travis Kelce’s tipped ball at the goal line against Philadelphia and Devin Lloyd’s 99-yard interception return at Jacksonville, Mahomes has been picked off in four straight games.
He threw a pair of interceptions against Washington and was intercepted once in losses at Buffalo and Denver.
The Chiefs got rolling on the second drive and appeared to have tied the game when Kelce scored on a 4-yard direct snap, but the touchdown was overturned when right tackle Jawaan Taylor was flagged for a rare offensive facemask.
Kansas City settled for a 28-yard Harrison Butker field goal early in the second quarter to cap a 17-play, 64-yard drive that lasted 8:20.
Indianapolis led 7-3 but took firm control with a 75-yard touchdown drive.
Ashton Dulin’s 48-yard catch and run set up Jones’ 4-yard touchdown to tight end Drew Ogletree in the back of the end zone.
The Chiefs managed two more Butker field goals — from 48 and 22 yards — on their last two drives of the second half, pulling within 14-9 at halftime.
CONTAINING TAYLOR
While Hunt thrived with Isiah Pacheco sidelined for a third consecutive game, Jonathan Taylor only had seven carries for 22 yards in the first half, a hopeful stat for Chiefs Kingdom.
But Daniel Jones, gimpy ankle and all, carved up Kansas City, going 10 of 12 for 94 yards with touchdowns in the first half.
The Chiefs failed to sack Jones and registered only one quarterback hurry, credited to George Karlaftis, in the opening half.
Curiously, the Colts made almost no effort to establish Taylor in the second half.
He had a 27-yard run on third-and-short early in the third quarter, but Indy never handed him the ball on the final eight plays of regulation, which included three straight three-and-outs as Kansas City rallied to force overtime.
Taylor had two carries for 3 yards on the opening drive in overtime, finishing with 16 carries for 58 yards, while Jones finished 19 of 31 for 181 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. He also scrambled for 16 yards on three carries.
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