KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a question of seconds, the boisterous roar at Arrowhead Stadium dissipated. Maximum enthusiasts went tranquil.
Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ prominent guy, had thrown a landing move however ended the play games along with his palms on his helmet and his facemask at the rainy turf, his knees and elbows alike in combination let’s say how a lot ache he felt. In the ones seconds, everybody within the Chiefs group questioned what took place. What a part of Mahomes’ frame did he harm? May he even end Monday night time’s duel in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Or did he maintain a daunting non-contact, season-ending trauma, in all probability sinking the Chiefs’ probabilities of taking pictures an unheard of 0.33 instantly Tremendous Bowl victory?
When Mahomes entered the clinical tent at the Chiefs’ sideline, trainer Andy Reid walked towards Carson Wentz, telling the veteran extra quarterback to get in a position to complete the sport. Mahomes exited the tent in not up to two mins.
“I thought he was joking,” Mahomes mentioned with a grin. “I was like, ‘Come on, we’re not doing this again.’”
Not like the AFC divisional-round duel in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars within the 2022 postseason, Mahomes didn’t pass over a snap in opposition to the Buccaneers regardless of having a sprained left ankle. Matching to that memorable playoff duel, which began the workforce’s championship run, Mahomes returned to the garden and performed lots of the fourth quarter and time beyond regulation thru his trauma Monday night time to govern the Chiefs (8-0) to a 30-24 comeback victory in a rainstorm.
“He trusts me,” Mahomes mentioned of Reid. “Once the doctors checked it out and I was able to get back and do the (dropbacks) again, he let me get back on the field. As time went on, the pain subsided.”
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Early within the fourth quarter, Mahomes sustained his trauma when he scrambled out of the area and flicked a shorten move to operating again Samaje Perine, whose 7-yard landing connect the sport. Mahomes mentioned he felt ache in his ankle when he planted his left underpinning at the slippery tuft simply sooner than freeing the move.
Two running shoes needed to support Mahomes advance around the garden to be additional evaluated. Within the tent, backup tape was once implemented to Mahomes’ left ankle and underpinning to supremacy the swelling.
“I was running for the goal line and had committed to running the ball,” Mahomes mentioned. “At the last second, I saw Samaje and awkwardly rolled the ankle a little bit. It was definitely scary. It hurt more because it was the same ankle I rolled last week (against the Las Vegas Raiders). Once I calmed down a little bit, it ended up being not too bad.”
Patrick Mahomes needed to be helped off the garden then this play games the place he suffered an obvious trauma to his leg. pic.twitter.com/F6gLhd8F96
— ESPN (@espn) November 5, 2024
With 12 mins left in legislation, the enthusiasts at Arrowhead produced a fair louder ovation when Mahomes re-entered the sport. Within the Chiefs’ huddle, operating again Kareem Hunt had a easy concept.
“We’re going to have to run the ball,” Hunt mentioned. He added of Mahomes’ trauma: “I was just hoping it wasn’t too bad.”
What got here then was once the Chiefs’ maximum notable power of the season, bearing in mind their instances.
Mahomes and Hunt orchestrated a methodical 15-play power wherein the offense took greater than 8 mins off the clock, didn’t devote a penalty and scored a landing to snatch a 24-17 govern. Mahomes endured his excellence on 0.33 ill, discovering tight finish Travis Kelce and receiver Justin Watson to proceed the Chiefs’ power. Hunt received difficult yards between the tackles and transformed a fourth-and-inches snap close midfield.
“It’s my mindset and my love for the game,” Hunt mentioned of his efficiency as he completed with 27 carries for a season-high 106 yards. “Even when I was on the couch (in early September), I didn’t know when I was going to get a call — or if I was going to get a call — but I stayed positive and kept working out. I was just waiting for an opportunity to show the world what I can do. I was kind of hungry for the ball.”
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With the Chiefs going through third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ 5-yard form, Mahomes discovered huge receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a one-on-one matchup for a very simple landing. Hopkins stuck the ball then operating a withered slant path in opposition to cornerback Josh Hayes. Hopkins was once skillful in his first house duel as a Eminent then the Oct. 23 business from the Tennessee Titans. He completed with 8 receptions on 9 objectives for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s so good at winning one-on-one,” Mahomes mentioned of Hopkins. “To be able to have him down in the red zone and third-down situations, he does a good job of finding those windows, kind of like Travis does. As he figures out the entire offense, he’ll get even better.”
Hopkins once more
: #TBvsKC on ESPN/ABC
: Current on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/KWQ2pYZpm8— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2024
Within the ultimate slight of legislation, quarterback Baker Mayfield led the Buccaneers (4-5) to an notable landing power.
With out his supremacy two receivers, Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (left ankle), Mayfield did almost about the whole lot trainer Todd Bowles may just’ve requested of him. Mayfield didn’t devote a handover and was once environment friendly on shorten and intermediate passes, lots of the completions committing to tight ends and operating backs. The lone factor for the Buccaneers is that two choices they made overdue within the duel avoided them from beating the Chiefs, which might’ve been their perfect victory of the season.
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With 27 seconds left in legislation, Bowles elected to not accumulation his offense at the garden for a possible game-winning two-point conversion.
“I am surprised,” Hunt mentioned of Bowles’ resolution. “They gave us a chance, but I guess (it was) whoever had the ball last. It could’ve (gone) either way.”
Sooner than time beyond regulation started, Mayfield confirmed his frustration at midfield then he referred to as tails and the coin landed on heads, giving the Chiefs the ball. Mayfield was once by no means at the garden once more. From the sideline, he watched Mahomes engineer the game-winning power.
Baker’s response to Mahomes and the Chiefs profitable the OT coin toss pic.twitter.com/75hS7WFcTU
— ESPN (@espn) November 5, 2024
“Pat goes down, it’s raining and they know we’re going to run the ball,” Watson mentioned. “We talk about it all the time: Let’s run the ball when the other team knows we’re running it. It’s cool to see that. It’s cool to see that and Pat comes back and toughs it out for us. It was just a good team win.”
Mahomes was once grand in time beyond regulation, finishing all 5 of his passes.
The Chiefs’ first play games in time beyond regulation was once a play-action move to Hunt, who received 11 yards. Mahomes nonetheless confirmed reliable mobility, whether or not transferring within the area to finish a shorten move to Kelce or conserving the ball on a run-pass choice for a 2-yard acquire. Hopkins gained some other one-on-one matchup at the perimeter for a 15-yard reception.
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Regardless of the hail and his trauma, Mahomes’ accuracy by no means suffered. His pinpoint passes ended in 291 passing yards and a season-high 3 touchdowns.
“I pride myself on being able to throw in any condition,” Mahomes mentioned. “That’s something that’s an advantage at Arrowhead. If it’s raining, snowing, cold or hot, I want to be the best thrower of the ball on the field. That’s why we want home-field advantage and the playoffs to come through Arrowhead because it’s a special place and you have to be able to play in every environment.”
Chiefs win it in time beyond regulation to stay unbeaten! pic.twitter.com/Klz0vELuAE
— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2024
Hunt ended the sport with a 2-yard landing run, sporting two defenders into the top zone. Mahomes celebrated by means of lifting his palms to sign the landing sooner than the officers showed the ranking.
Mahomes exited the cupboard room and not using a strolling boot. Rather, he wore his cloudy footwear and went away and not using a vital limp.
“He might have the loosest ankles in America,” Reid mentioned of Mahomes. “It’s ridiculous how he can come back from those things — and then he’s mentally tough.”
(Picture: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Photographs)
