Mahomes throws 3 TD passes, Hunt scores TD in overtime as Chiefs beat Buccaneers 30-24

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chiefs coach Andy Reid watched arsenic nan Buccaneers drove down nan section successful nan last infinitesimal of regulation, and Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown walk that put Tampa Bay wrong a 2-point conversion of ending Kansas City's cleanable commencement to nan season.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles admitted to giving “very minor” thought to going for 2 earlier kicking nan other constituent that sent nan crippled to overtime.

“I'm gladsome he didn't,” Reid said pinch a smile.

That's because nan Chiefs won nan ensuing coin toss, and Patrick Mahomes capped a large time — 291 yards passing and 3 touchdowns connected a gimpy ankle — by going 5 for 5 connected nan only thrust of overtime. Kareem Hunt vanished it off, on pinch his 106-yard rushing performance, by plunging into nan extremity area from 2 yards retired to springiness Kansas City a 30-24 triumph connected Monday night.

“Everybody had a portion of this,” Reid said.

DeAndre Hopkins had 8 catches for 86 yards and 2 TDs. Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards pinch Taylor Swift watching from a suite. And a defense missing a mates of cardinal players to injuries held Mayfield to 200 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, and unopen down a Tampa Bay moving crippled that managed conscionable 95 yards.

The consequence was familiar: The Chiefs won their 14th consecutive making love to past season, nan longest streak since Carolina started 14-0 successful 2014, and they became conscionable nan sixth Super Bowl champ to commencement 8-0 nan pursuing season. They besides person won their past 8 games erstwhile trailing successful nan 2nd half, including nan postseason.

The Buccaneers had their chance erstwhile Mayfield deed Ryan Miller successful nan extremity area pinch 27 seconds to go. But alternatively than spell for nan win, Bowles decided to footwear nan other constituent — and Bucs ended up losing for nan 4th clip successful 5 games.

“We’ve sewage guys who are not going to discontinue fighting to nan end,” Tampa Bay wide receiver Sterling Shepard said. “I’m really proud of nan group and nan measurement everybody fought. We’ve conscionable sewage to cleanable up immoderate small stuff. And that’s what this convention is each about.”

It was a memorable first half for 2 players who'd been waiting to play successful Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bucs' Rachaad White grew up astir 10 minutes distant successful a reliable portion of Kansas City, but his family could ne'er spend a summons for him to spot a game. He coiled up taking a circuitous way done Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California inferior assemblage to Arizona State, wherever he yet became of a third-round prime of Tampa Bay successful nan 2022 draft.

Two twelvemonth later, White yet sewage into Arrowhead — and nan extremity zone. He punctuated his 7-yard scoring run successful nan 2nd quarter, which gave nan Bucs a 7-3 lead, by astir tossing nan shot each nan measurement into nan 2nd deck.

“I can’t moreover count correct now,” White said, erstwhile asked really galore friends and family were watching from those stands.

Then it was Hopkins' move successful his first location crippled since arriving successful Kansas City from a waste and acquisition pinch nan Titans.

The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught 4 passes astatine that point, reeled successful a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple sum for a 35-yard summation that put nan Chiefs wrong nan Tampa Bay 5. Three plays later, Mahomes recovered him successful nan backmost of nan extremity zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD pinch nan Chiefs pinch a creation from “Remember nan Titans.”

“That's 1 of my favourite movies," he said. “I knew if I sewage successful nan extremity area I was going to retrieve nan Titans.”

Tampa Bay tried to prehend power pinch consecutive scoring drives to commencement nan 2nd half. The first ended pinch a TD walk to Cade Otton, nan latest tight extremity to shred nan Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin's 47-yard section extremity gave nan Bucs a 17-10 lead.

The Chiefs answered successful nan 4th quarter, though. Mahomes marched them done nan driving rainfall 70 yards for nan tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his near ankle, and past threw a laser to Hopkins connected third-and-goal from nan Buccaneers 5 to springiness Kansas City nan lead.

Mahomes said later nan ankle wounded frightened him much than wounded him. He was checked successful nan sideline shelter but was quickly backmost to throwing balls successful an effort to enactment loose, and he ne'er gave Reid an opportunity to propulsion him from nan game.

“You consciousness nan symptom and that scares you,” Mahomes said, “because I've dealt pinch ankles before. But I conscionable benignant of laid location and arsenic clip went connected nan symptom subsided. I conscionable benignant of sewage to it, and sewage moving again and felt comfortable going retired there.”

Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out aft Kansas City took nan lead, but its defense sewage nan shot correct back, and this clip Mayfield calmly led his squad down nan field. His capped nan thrust pinch a touchdown flip to Miller — his first profession TD drawback — pinch 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.

It coiled up being a determination nan Buccaneers would regret.

Buccaneers: LB Yaya Diaby (chest) concisely near nan game. CB Josh Hayes (calf) dealt pinch cramps successful nan 2nd half.

Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman (shoulder) and DE George Karlaftis (hip) were wounded but returned to nan game.

Tampa Bay hosts San Francisco connected Sunday.

Kansas City hosts Denver connected Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl