A record-setting thriller: Chiefs lose to Rams in possible Super Bowl preview
It ended the only way a game played just a couple miles from Hollywood could.
Cornerback Marcus Peters, traded away by the Chiefs in the offseason, intercepted the boy-wonder quarterback that took the reins of the franchise after he left to all but seal the L.A. Rams’ 54-51 win in the minutes after Jared Goff’s game-winning touchdown pass to Greg Everett with 1:49 left.
Patrick Mahomes used his otherworldly arm strength to fling the ball down the field toward wide receiver Chris Conley in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. It was the same play that resulted in a 25-yard Tyreek Hill touchdown earlier in the game, but this time it landed right in Peters’ arm, like that’s where it was destined to fall all along.
“I thought if I could just, if I could give him a full throw, I could get it to (Conley),” Mahomes said. “I’ve just got to learn from that, knowing that you’re almost in field-goal range, you can’t take that chance sometimes.”
Clinging to a three-point lead, the Rams (10-1) couldn’t capitalize on the ensuing drive and gave the Chiefs one more chance to score with 50 seconds to play.
But again, Mahomes tried to fling the ball down the field. And again, it was picked off. This time, safety Lamarcus Joyner hauled in the pick with 13 seconds to play to end the game for good.
“Listen, he’s made enough of these that you have full trust in him doing it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “But again, he’ll learn from that. Take a peek at it. We’ll study it. And see what he could’ve done better. The great thing about Patrick is that’s what he does. He’ll check every play out and evaluate it.”
So often, games billed as the best of the year can’t live up to the hype.
This one did.
Featuring 11 offensive scores, three defensive touchdowns and three field goals, the 3-hour, 42-minute epic Monday night game in front of a crowd of 77,002 had a little bit of everything: controversial officiating decisions, a pick-six, a Tyreek Hill peace sign and multiple big man scoop-and-scores.
And it had two stellar quarterbacks going at it in what felt like a playoff game setting. Mahomes finished completing 33 of 46 attempts for 478 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. On the other side, Goff completed 31 of 49 for 413 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
The 105 combined points set an NFL Monday Night Football record for the most points scored in a game. It was the third-highest-scoring NFL game in history.
It was everything it was supposed to be, and then some.
“They’ll fight you,” Reid said of his team. “They’ll fight you right to the end. I’m proud of them for that. And we do, we have a lot of young guys. We’ll get better from this. We’ll be a better team. It’s hard to swallow right this minute, but we’ll be better when it’s all said and done.”
After a slow start for the Chiefs in the first quarter that put the visitors in a 13-0 first-quarter hole, the game built to a screeching crescendo by the fourth quarter thanks to a combination of highlight-reel plays and momentum-changing defensive moments. Tied 23-23 at halftime, the two teams traded scores in the third quarter.
The Rams (10-1) accelerated to a 10-point lead with 2:14 to go in the third thanks to a 33-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein followed up by a pick-six by Samson Ebukam on Mahomes’ first play of the next drive. It was Mahomes’ first career pick-six and Ebukam’s second defensive touchdown of the day after his 11-yard scoop-and-score in the final minutes of the second quarter.
With the momentum firmly in the Rams’ corner, it felt like the two-score lead might be insurmountable. And maybe it would be for any other team.
But Chiefs (9-2) feature Mahomes and Tyreek Hill. And for a while, that made all the difference.
With Hill streaking down the field three minutes into the fourth quarter, Mahomes cocked his arm and unleashed the ball.
As it hurtled down the field, Hill found himself completely wide open in the middle, the closest defender some 15 yards behind him.
As Hill crossed the goal line, he turned back to the Rams defender closing in and flashed him his signature peace sign. That drew a penalty for taunting, but it didn’t matter. The Chiefs were back within a score.
Chiefs defensive lineman Allen Bailey quickly erased the deficit a minute later with his fumble recovery touchdown. But the Rams didn’t go away quietly. How could they?
Goff answered by directing a scoring drive that included two deep completions to Josh Reynolds — who scored a touchdown and had 80 yards in his first game playing in place of Cooper Kupp — and Robert Woods.
With the Rams back on top by three points and 9:38 left on the game clock, Mahomes went to work again. This time, he used a seven-minute drive to pick apart the Rams’ defense with gutsy runs and big completions to tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Demarcus Robinson. A lowering-the-helmet penalty called against the Rams after a catch by tight end Demetrius Harris set up the Chiefs at the 10 yard line, and a play later, Mahomes found receiver Chris Conley for his sixth passing touchdown of the day — and second to Conley.
But it wasn’t enough.
The Rams got the last word with the touchdown from Goff to Everett where the defense had a handful of opportunities to make another game-changing play, including an interception that slipped right through Orlando Scandrick’s hands.
“We were in a position to end the thing,” Reid said. “You have opportunities. In these games, it comes down to that. It was back-and-forth. And then, I could’ve called some better plays down the stretch, bottom line. We all look at it that way, every guy on this team will do that. That’s the way these guys are wired and that’s what’s going to make us a great football team down the stretch.”
Brooke Pryor
Brooke Pryor covers the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL for The Star.
This story was originally published November 19, 2018 at 11:17 PM.