The Chiefs are living dangerously, but loving nonetheless. Another one score game, and another one score win with a 22-17 victory over Atlanta. In Week 1 it was Isaiah Likely’s foot being just out of bounds and in Week 2 it was Harrison Butker’s foot kicking it through the uprights. In Week 3, it was the Kansas City defense coming up with two 4th down stops inside the 25-yard-line in the final minutes to win the game.
Patrick Mahomes had a couple of touchdown passes and the Chiefs rushed for 128 yards in the win without lead running back Isiah Pacheco, who’s out six to eight weeks with a broken leg. Rashee Rice caught 12 passes for 110 yards and a score for Kansas City who improved to 3-0.
The Falcons fell to 1-2 with the loss. Kirk Cousins was efficient — 20-of-29 — for 230 yards and did throw a touchdown pass. Atlanta hosts New Orleans next week and Kansas City heads to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers.
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Falcons come up short on 4th down again
This time its Nick Bolton making a play on Bijan Robinson in the backfield, knifing through the line to knock Robinson down in the backfield. Eight tackles on the day for Bolton including three TFLs. And Kansas City will be able to run out the clock
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Another Chiefs penalty adds 15 more for Atlanta
This time, a horse collar and Atlanta is just outside the red zone
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Two Chiefs penalties on the first two plays of the Falcons series have Atlanta in business.
A hands to the face penalty, a Drake London 12-yard catch, and a pass interference call have Atlanta at the K.C. 36-yard-line at the two-minute warning. The Falcons won a game in a similar position against the Eagles last week, and the Chiefs survived a late Baltimore rally in Week 1 to win on opening night.
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Falcons force another BIG 3-and-out to get the ball back with just over two minutes to go
A Patrick Mahomes misfire on third down, looking for Xavier Worthy led to the end of the series. and the Falcons take over with 2:26 to play.
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Falcons turn the ball over on downs with 4:04 to go
The Falcons opted to pass on a field goal attempt, down five and came up with an incomplete pass in the end zone on a 4th and 5 at the six yard line. The Falcons still have three timeouts, and Kansas City would need to go the length of the field to get another score. While the Chiefs have dominated time of possession for most of the game, Atlanta forced a 3-and-out on the last K.C. offensive series.
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Ray-Ray McCloud with some tough running to set the Falcons up in scoring position
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Falcons force massive 3-and-out
The Falcons couldnt have needed it more, as Jessie Bates III knocked a sure completion out of Travis Kelce’s hands, and the Falcons have it back with just over 11 minutes to play. They also dodged a bullet with a near-fumble on the return, but Avery Williams was ruled down by contact before the ball — which was recovered by Kansas City — popped out.
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Falcons get back on the board with Koo field goal
Steve Spagnuolo dialed up some pressure on the the patchwork Falcons offensive line to stall out an Atlanta drive that showed some promise. Kansas City now leads 22-17, and has a nearly 2-to-1 advantage in time of possession and offensive snaps and has a more than 2-to-1 advantage (22-10) in first downs. The Falcons sprinted out to that 7-0 lead and got the big play from Kyle Pitts in the second quarter, but haven’t been able to get out of first gear since the offensive line injuries.
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Chiefs lead 22-14 after three quarters
The Chiefs have just chewed up the clock in this game. They’ve had the ball for 30:58 of the first 45 minutes and have 22 first downs to the Falcons’ nine.
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Mahomes finds JuJu Smith-Schuster for his second Touchdown pass of the game
Smith-Schuster’s second reception of the night goes for six — and it stays at six after Harrison Butker misses the PAT to give Kansas City a 22-14 lead.
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Rashee Rice slow to get up
After his 12th catch of the game — a new career best — Rice was taken down by Falcons’ cornerback A.J. Terrell. The Chiefs’ training staff came on the field to help him to the sideline.
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Big play to Rashee Rice for 27 yards
His 11th catch of the night put him over 100 receiving yards for the game.
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Chiefs march down the field again with 10-play drive that ends in another FG
Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice had a couple of receptions on the drive that stalled inside the 5-yard-line, and Harrison Butker is now 3-for-3 and the Chiefs lead for the first time, 16-14.
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Falcons lead 14-13 at halftime
Patrick Mahomes threw the ball 27 times in the first half, but only for 128 yards. That’s 4.7 yards per attempt. The Chiefs have sustained a couple of long drives and converted four of their first five 3rd down attempts — they converted the 4th down attempt after that miss — but are 0-for-3 on their last three attempts, as the Atlanta defense clamped down late in the first half.
Atlanta will still have to deal with missing two starting offensive linemen. After they went out, the Falcons line gave up a sack-fumble that was kicked out of bounds by Bijan Robinson, Cousins’ arm was hit on a throw that resulted in a late second quarter interception.
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Butker nails another field goal, Falcons lead 14-13
A good hold by the Falcons’ defense in sudden change late in the first half. While Kansas City did get points, the quick 3-and-out was important because the Chiefs get the ball to start the second half.
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Chiefs come up with with late first half INT
The pass rush created this one as Kirk Cousins arm was hit was he released the ball, resulting in the wobbly throw that was picked off by Chamarri Connor.
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Joey Chestnut doing Joey Chestnut things 🌭
Joey Chestnut just chowed down on fistfuls of hot dogs and won free Publix subs for an entire section here. Section 221 is a winner no matter how the game ends up.
— Jay Busbee (@jaybusbee) September 23, 2024
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Falcons offensive line injuries mounting.
First, right tackle Kaleb McGary went down in the first half with a knee injury. He was listed as questionable heading into halftime. LAter in the second quarter, center Drew Dalman went down, and backup Ryan Neuzil checked into the game. It’ll be worth monitoring if the Falcons can keep their continuity in the zone run game and also keep Kirk Cousins upright — He hadn’t been sacked before the two injuries in nine pass attempts.
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Butker connects from 53 to get K.C. within four
Kansas City’s third drive of the night stalls, and Butker gets on the board with three. Under three minutes to go in the first half and the Falcons lead 14-10.
