Report card: Chiefs get enough out of passing game to remain unbeaten at home
The Chiefs earned their 11th win of the season to surpass last year’s total and clinch a spot in the AFC playoffs with a 27-24 overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
The recap
Player of the game: Patrick Mahomes passed for 377 yards and two touchdowns despite being pressured and from start to finish. Mahomes scrambled and made pivotal plays, including a pair of fourth-down conversions on the drive to tie the score and send the game into overtime.
Reason to hope: The Chiefs found a way to scratch out a win despite trailing in the fourth quarter with less than five minutes remaining. They also mounted the comeback with key offensive players hurt.
Reason to mope: The Chiefs’ offense came into the game without wide receiver Sammy Watkins (foot) and newly signed Kelvin Benjamin, who has been to just one practice. Then top receiver Tyreek Hill came out of the game on two separate occasions. Kareem Hunt’s departure paved the way for Spencer Ware to take over, but Ware also got banged up on Sunday.
Looking ahead: The Chiefs will have a short turnaround before hosting the team on their heels in the AFC West, the Los Angeles Chargers, on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium.
Report card
Rushing offense: C. The Chiefs offense came up with crucial gains on the ground in the second half to sustain possession after the Ravens’ offense went on long and physically taxing drives against the Chiefs’ defense. Ware gained tough yards between tackles, but overall KC rushed for fewer than 100 yards and didn’t have a gain of more than 13 yards on the ground.
Passing offense: B-. Mahomes once again served as the engine that moved the offense amid the wide range of coverages and blitzes the Ravens threw at him and the offensive line. The Ravens successfully pressured and battered Mahomes throughout the game. The Ravens sacked him three times, hit him 15 times and intercepted one pass. Mahomes still managed 377 yards, two touchdowns and a respectable quarterback rating of 91.5.
Rushing defense: D. The Ravens have one of the toughest running attacks in the NFL, especially with Lamar Jackson at quarterback. The Chiefs allowed 198 rushing yards and an average of 5.1 per carry. That rushing attack allowed the Ravens to control the pace of the game.
Passing defense: B-. The Ravens completed just half of their passes and gave up three sacks, including one that knocked Lamar Jackson off the field for the final plays of overtime. They allowed just one pass play of 20 yards or more (a penalty tacked additional yards onto another play).
Special teams: D. The 55-yard punt return by the Ravens set up the go-ahead score with just shy of four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. That special teams play put the defense’s back against the wall and could have cost the Chiefs the game if not for a pair of fourth-down conversions on their final scoring drive of regulation. The Chiefs also missed a pair of field goals, including one that could have won the game at the end of regulation.
Coaching: C. The offense had fits and starts against what was statistically the best defense in the NFL. Injuries took their top wide receiver and top running back off the field, but the Chiefs still moved the ball effectively even with the Ravens constantly switching up coverages. Defensively, execution seemed more of an issue than scheme. Keeping fresh legs on the defensive front paid dividends late in fourth quarter and overtime.
