KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs were backed up against their own end zone in the fourth quarter against Indianapolis on Sunday, trailing the AFC South-leading Colts by a field goal with time running out.
Altogether appropriate given how the Chiefs’ backs were against the wall.
The conference juggernauts were 5-5 on the season, and a loss would have put the Chiefs’ playoff hopes in peril. And there was little to believe they could get the job done, given how a once-clutch team had struggled in crunch time through the first 10 weeks.
Yet the Chiefs suddenly looked like themselves again. They marched nearly the length of the field in the final 4 1/2 minutes, setting up a chip-shot field goal to force overtime. And when the Chiefs forced a three-and-out to start it, they drove nearly the length of the field again, setting up another chip-shot field goal, this time giving them a 23-20 victory over the Colts.
“You could have folded in that situation and been kind of (done) for the rest of the season,” said Patrick Mahomes, who threw for a season-high 352 yards — 142 of them coming on the tying drive in regulation and the winning one in overtime.
“The guys responded and found a way to win. Every single unit,” Mahomes continued. “Offense, we found a way at the end. Defense stood tall multiple times to give us a chance, and then Harrison (Butker) and (Matt) Araiza did a great job flipping the field and making field goals. We needed a win like this and now let’s just try to build off of it.”
That’s the trick, because the Chiefs may be 6-5 they still have a long way to go if they want to make the postseason.
And they have a short period to prepare for the next game.
The Chiefs head to Dallas on Thursday for a Thanksgiving matchup against a Cowboys team coming off an emotional, come-from-behind win over the rival Eagles. Win and Kansas City is 7-5 and feeling good; lose and it’s back to .500.
The Chiefs also have to play the Texans, Broncos and Chargers down the stretch, all teams angling for playoff positioning.
Asked after Sunday’s game how quickly the Chiefs have to turn the page, defensive tackle Chris Jones replied: “I think tonight.”
“I’m going to rest a little bit and watch a little film on Dallas. I think they play (Philadelphia) at 3:30 or something like that. I’ll watch the game, so I can get ahead of the schedule,” Jones said. “Come in tomorrow, watch a little more football and prepare for Dallas.”
The Chiefs finally stuck to the run game and it paid off, both in production from Kareem Hunt on the ground and in opening up the passing game late. Hunt finished with a career-high 30 carries for 104 yards and the Chiefs’ only touchdown.
Kansas City has struggled all season at the start of games and the beginning of the second half. It was the same way Sunday. Mahomes threw an interception that set up an easy touchdown for Indianapolis on its opening possession, while the first chance out of the halftime break was a three-and-out that gave Indianapolis good field position and, ultimately, another field goal.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo put together a plan that limited the NFL’s top offense to a season-low 255 yards, and forced it to go three-and-out on its final four possessions. It also held Jonathan Taylor to just 58 yards rushing.
Marquise Brown was supposed to team with Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy to form a potent wide receiver group. But while Rice was busy hauling in eight passes for 141 yards, and Worthy had four for 59, Brown had a single 10-yard catch. Recall that Brown caught 10 passes for 99 yards in the season opener; he has 29 for 366 over the ensuing 10 games.
RG Trey Smith hurt his ankle, CB Chris Roland-Wallace hurt his back and TE Noah Gray sustained a concussion. It is unlikely that any of them will be available given the short turnaround time before the Chiefs head to Dallas.
185 — Travis Kelce continued a resurgent season with four catches for 43 yards, extending his streak to 185 consecutive games with a catch. That ties Terrell Owens for sixth longest in NFL history, and he can tie Hines Ward for fifth with his 186th on Thursday.
The Chiefs will be playing on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2006 when they visit the Cowboys.
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