Cheers! Tyreek Hill kept his cool leading Chiefs’ comeback, even sprayed with beer

Tyreek Hill’s monster night produced thrills and fueled a Chiefs comeback. But not a victory.

Three touchdown receptions, all in the second half, allowed the Chiefs to stay with and at one point forge ahead of the New England Patriots.

But the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady prevailed in the end, taking a wild 43-40 triumph.

A Patriots field goal opened a 40-33 lead with 3:03 remaining. The Chiefs would have that much time to try to get the game tied.

They only needed seconds thanks to Hill and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

It took one play to even things up. From the 25, Mahomes spotted Hill at about the Pats 37. Hill was in space, and once he turned the corner proved impossible to run down. Hill sprinted to the end zone to complete the 75-yard score.

“That was just Pat trusting me down the field, and I guess that was me making a play,” Hill said. “Any time the ball is thrown my way I’m going to try my best to get into the end zone.”

Hill’s momentum took him the stands where a surprise awaited. At least one fan sprayed what appeared to be beer in Hill’s face.

“I don’t want to get into all that,” Hill said. “My coach told me, don’t get emotional, don’t get mad about it. It comes with the territory, you know? I’m not mad at all.”

The Patriots announced on Monday that the fan who threw the beer had been identified.

“Gillette Stadium security has indentified the fan who violated the fan code of conduct by tossing beer onto a player during the game last night,” the statement read. “The matter has been turned over the local law enforcement and the fan will be sent a letter of disinvite to all future events at Gillette Stadium.”

Earlier in the half, Hill had scored on a 14-yard reception where he started on the left side and glided under Mahomes lob near the right corner.

That cut the Patriots’ lead to 27-26 in the third quarter.

The Patriots extended the lead to 30-26, but a Tremon Smith 97-yard kickoff return got the Chiefs to the 3, where they faced a third-and-1.

Mahomes again lofted a pass in the end zone. It was headed toward running back Kareem Hunt at the goal line, but if that was the case the ball was overthrown.

Hill was behind Hunt and made a sliding catch to give the Chiefs a 33-30 lead.

Hill said he wasn’t sure about the target on that play.

“We still don’t know,” Hill said. “When we go back and watch film we’re going to figure it out.”

The long touchdown completion gave Hill three touchdown receptions in a game for the first time. He had a three-touchdown game as a rookie in 2016 at Denver, when he scored touchdowns by rushing, receiving and return. The Chiefs won that game in overtime.

Sunday, Hill finished with 142 yards receiving, the third highest total in his career.

The Patriots did a good job on Hill in the first half. Tight end Travis Kelce was a preferred target and Hill wound up with three catches for 43 yards before halftime.

“We figured out what (the Patriots) were doing in the second half,” Hill said. “They’re a great defense. They have great players. But as the second half went along we started figuring them out.”

The second half belonged to Hill and Mahomes, who became the first player in Chiefs history to surpassed 300 passing yards in five straight games. Mahomes finished 23 of 36 for 352 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

The tandem didn’t a chance to win it at the end, as Brady led a drive that resulted in the game-winning field goal with no time remaining.

Blair Kerkhoff

Blair Kerkhoff covers the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and college sports for The Star.

This story was originally published October 14, 2018 at 10:45 PM.