By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes put together the 21st game winning drive of his career, and set up rookie kicker Spencer Shrader to knock through the biggest kick of his career, as Kansas City beat the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium.
Through the first half however, it looked like the Chiefs had the game in hand, the defense holding the Panthers to just three field goals by Eddy Pineiro, going into the halftime break with a 20-9 lead.
Kansas City opened the scoring on their first drive of the game, following a big 56 yard kickoff return from Samaje Perine, Mahomes connecting with Noah Gray for a 35 yard touchdown after three plays. Pinero knocked through his first field goal of the half on the following drive, from 30 yards out, which the Chiefs answered with a field goal of their own, 25 yards by Shrader.
Again, early in the second quarter, Kansas City and Carolina traded field goals with Pineiro hitting from 32 yards and Shrader from 41 yards away, before Gray again found the endzone on a touchdown pass from Mahomes, this time from 11 yards out. Pineiro closed out the half with his third field goal, from 29 yards out, sending both teams to the locker room.
The two touchdowns in the first half for Gray gave him back to back weeks with multiple scores, after he got his first two touchdowns of the season last week in the loss against Buffalo.
Though it looked like the Chiefs had the game in hand, the second half was all Panthers, first getting a one yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young to David Moore after a 15 play drive to start the half. Kansas City did answer with a touchdown to extend their lead, Mahomes connecting with Deandre Hopkins on a three yard pass.
Then the rally by the Panthers began, first with a 33 yard field goal by Pineiro to finish another long 11 play drive that carried between the third and fourth quarters. After three consecutive drives ended with punts, the Carolina offense went to work again, and Young drove down the field over five plays, before Chuba Hubbard pounded the ball in from one yard away.
The Panthers failed the first two point conversion attempt, but a defensive pass interference call on Trent Mcduffie gave them a second chance, where Hubbard rushed up the middle, tying up the game with 1:46 left in regulation.
But as many teams have learned over the years, especially this year, you never want to leave the Chiefs with time. Mahomes completed short passes to Travis Kelce and Hopkins for a first down, and then scrambled for 33 yards, putting the Chiefs in field goal range, and after another 10 yard run by Kareem Hunt, Shrader the rookie kicker signed off the Jets practice squad marched out, hitting a 31 yard field goal and wiping out the remaining two seconds to give Kansas City their 10th win of the season.
“You always want to have some blowouts and be a little calmer in the fourth quarter, but I've always said it could be a good thing when you get to the playoffs later in the season knowing that you have been in those moments before, and knowing how to attack it play by play not making it too big of a moment,” Mahomes said.
Then he smiled and said: “But I would say this more than anybody, I would love to win a game not by the very last play.”
Mahomes was 27 of 37 passing for 269 yards with three touchdowns, rushing five times for 60 yards. Hunt ran 16 times for 68 yards, while Gray (four catches, 66 yards, 2TDs) and Kelce (six catches, 62 yards) paced the receivers.
Kansas City is now 10-1 on the season. They return to Arrowhead Stadium for the first ever game on Black Friday, taking on the Las Vegas Raiders. Kickoff will be at 2pm, pregame will be at 1pm on KFEQ and Q Country 92.7.