The Kansas City Chiefs have been walking a tightrope all season and keep coming up unscathed.
Somehow, they are almost halfway to a perfect regular season.
The Chiefs remained the only unbeaten team in the NFL with Monday night’s 30-24 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kansas City (8-0) has won six games by seven points or less, so the numbers say this is not a dominant team.
Perfect is perfect. And Patrick Mahomes and his mates simply know how to win.
The Chiefs finally scored 30 points for the first time this season while winning their 14th consecutive game, including the postseason.
Kansas City appeared to be facing trouble when Mahomes took an awkward step and reinjured his left ankle on a touchdown pass. The rain was pouring down, and so were negative thoughts inside Arrowhead.
But Carson Wentz never took off his ball cap or his jacket—that’s something that would be rejoiced in other cities, too. Mahomes made a lightning-fast recovery and was back for the next series, and all he did was guide the Chiefs on a 15-play, 78-yard drive over 8:26 for a 24-17 lead.
The Buccaneers valiantly tied the game with 27 seconds left to force overtime. Kansas City won the coin toss and maneuvered its way downfield, with Kareem Hunt scoring the decisive 2-yard touchdown run.
So what happened Monday was the Chiefs were unwilling to lose. They possessed the ball for 15-plus minutes more than the Buccaneers, and they made key plays at the necessary time.
Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and two of them went to DeAndre Hopkins, who was playing in his second game for the team. The Chiefs have had receiver issues all season, and you can clearly see that Hopkins is going to be that missing go-to target.
Kansas City hosts the Denver Broncos in Week 10 and then comes the big showdown with the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs will play in the Bills’ raucous environment against a team wanting to deliver payback for past postseason failures.
Assuming a win over the Broncos, the Bills are the team most likely to end the Kansas City quest for an undefeated campaign.
The Buccaneers (4-5) have dropped three straight games and five of their past seven.
They probably would have won this game against most opponents. And coach Todd Bowles had control of that possibility after his club scored the touchdown with 27 seconds left to move with one.
Instead of going for the victory with a two-point conversion, he sent his kicker out to tie the score.
You can assert that taking that chance is crucial, and converting it keeps the team from the possibility of not seeing the ball in overtime. And that’s exactly what happened when the Chiefs won the toss.
So who knows what happens if Tampa Bay wins the toss? Bowles’ decision is magnified after we know the result.
He could have gone either way. Heck, if the Buccaneers miss on a two-point throw in that pouring rain, there would be critics saying he should have kicked the extra point.
So, it was a no-win situation for Mr. Bowles. More importantly, he needs to figure out what is wrong with his team’s defense. Tampa Bay has allowed 30 or more in three straight games and four of five.
That’s not a good stat for a guy who became a head coach due to his defensive prowess.
Offensively, the Buccaneers are hampered by the loss of receivers Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (season-ending dislocated ankle). Eight of Baker Mayfield’s 23 completions went to tight end Cade Otton and Sterling Shepard (4 for 48) was the lone semi-productive wideout.
The running game was nonexistent, with Bucky Irving leading the way with 24 yards. The Bucs need more productivity on the ground while Evans is away.
Next up for Tampa Bay is a home game with the San Francisco 49ers, who haven’t hit their stride but could have Christian McCaffrey on the field.
Following that game, four of the next five are on the road. Simply put, this season could get away from Tampa Bay fast if it doesn’t beat San Francisco next Sunday.
