What we learned as the Chiefs dug out of an early hole of their own making in Miami
A third-quarter blitzkrieg helped the Chiefs create some cushion over the Dolphins Sunday in Miami. But they still had to sweat it out late in the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs scored two touchdowns coming out of halftime and that proved the difference in their 33-27 win, which also gave Kansas City its fifth straight AFC West division title, at Hard Rock Stadium.
“They don’t give those away,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of winning another division title. “They give the hats away, but they don’t give these championships away.
“I’m proud of the guys for that; we all know that we need to keep going. It’s a nice accomplishment for the whole organization.”
It didn’t start well at the venue where they won their Super Bowl LIV title in February. The Dolphins jumped out to a 10-0 lead because of sloppy play by the Chiefs’ offense.
But Kansas City’s offensive firepower eventually turned the momentum in the Chiefs’ favor despite four giveaways, including three interceptions thrown by Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.
After spotting the Dolphins 10 points, the Chiefs scored 30 straight before the Dolphins stopped the bleeding in the fourth quarter. Miami closed the gap to six points, 30-24, on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s 1-yard touchdown run with less than five minutes remaining.
Mahomes put the final nail in the coffin by converting a fourth-and-short attempt to wide receiver Tyreek Hill for 22 yards with just a little more than two minutes remaining in the game and on the Dolphins’ 40-yard line. And the decision to go for it was never in doubt.
“We were going for it the whole time,” Reid said.
Mahomes appreciates his head coach having trust in him to make the right move with the game on the line.
“It just comes with the experience of being in those situations before,” Mahomes said. “He knows I’m going to make the right decision. If it’s there, we’ll take it. If not, I’m going to try and find a way to make it with my legs or give someone else a chance.”
Kicker Harrison Butker completed the drive with a 46-yard field goal to help give the Chiefs another hard-fought win.
“I’m glad to get the win and get out of here,” Reid said. “Good football team. (Dolphins head coach) Brian (Flores) has done a nice job with it.”
The win improves the Chiefs to 12-1, marking their best record through 13 games in team history.
Here’s what stood out Sunday.
SHAKING IT OFF
Mahomes endured a first quarter to forget, accounting for two interceptions and taking a 30-yard sack.
But those mistakes were quickly erased as Mahomes finished the first half completing 13 of 19 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs’ signal-caller got in a groove, connecting with tight end Travis Kelce six times for 76 yards and a touchdown by halftime.
“I want him to keep firing,” Reid said of Mahomes. “Just learn from it and let’s go.”
For the day, Mahomes completed 24 of 34 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns, extending his streak of consecutive games with a passing score to 23. He also threw three interceptions. Mahomes logged his 26th 300-yard game, tying Hall of Famer Kurt Warner for the most all-time through a player’s first four seasons.
Kelce totaled eight catches for 136 yards, his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the season and 25th of his career. Kelce now ranks third for most 100-yard games by a tight end in NFL history, trailing just Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (31) and Rob Gronkowski (29).
QUICK STRIKE
Two touchdowns just 62 seconds apart early in the third quarter blew open the game.
With his team already holding a 14-10 lead by that point, Mahomes connected with Hill for a 44-yard touchdown to make it a 21-10. Hill also had a 32-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and now has 16 total TDs this season (14 receiving, two rushing). He finished with three catches for 79 yards.
After the Dolphins went three-and-out on their ensuing possession, Chiefs wide receiver/returner Mecole Hardman took a punt 67 yards for a touchdown to give the Chiefs a 28-10 lead.
The return marked Hardman’s first punt return for a touchdown and the team’s first punt return for a score since a 91-yard effort from Hill on Sept. 9, 2018.
SACK CITY RETURNS
Bringing down the opposing quarterback has been a challenge in recent games, but the Chiefs made up for it with their first multi-sack game since Week 9.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones sacked Tua Tagovailoa in the end zone for a safety in the third quarter, giving Jones a team-high 6.5 sacks this season.
Defensive end Frank Clark also recorded a sack to end the first half, his fifth.
Rookie defensive end Mike Danna recorded a sack in the first half, while rookie defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton added one in the second.
The Chiefs totaled eight quarterback hits, three by defensive end Alex Okafor.
“I thought the pressure on the quarterback was good,” Reid said. “I thought the defensive line did some nice things with the run game and the pass-game part of it. Really, until that fourth quarter, we had a good thing going.”
WHAT HIP INJURY?
Safety Tyrann Mathieu was a surprise addition to Friday’s injury report with a hip ailment and entered the game with a designation of “questionable.”
Mathieu showed no signs of an injury and started Sunday’s game. He made two tackles, an interception and two passes defensed. The ball-hawking All-Pro safety now has a team-high six interceptions, including four in the past three games.
“Just trying to catch the ones that are catchable,” Mathieu said. “Just trying to look it in.”
BOWLING BALL
Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire totaled 91 yards (32 rushing). And the 5-foot-8, 209-pound rookie excelled at getting tough yards after contact.
The Dolphins repeatedly had difficulty taking down the stout and powerful Edwards-Helaire. The best example of this occurred in the third quarter when he took a short pass in the flat and turned it into a 26-yard gain down the left sideline.
At least four Dolphins defenders had a chance to stop him, but Edwards-Helaire bullied his way through each of them.
COVID AFFECTS OPPONENT
The Chiefs faced a Dolphins offense that was missing two running backs because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Matt Breida landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Dec. 4, while the Dolphins placed Myles Gaskin on the list Saturday, less than 24 hours before Sunday’s kickoff.
A player on the list is not automatically an indication of a positive test. Instead, the player might have come in close contact to someone who tested positive.
Without Brieda and Gaskin, who leads Miami in rushing, the Dolphins went with backups DeAndre Washington, Elijah McGuire and Patrick Laird. Washington, whom the Chiefs traded to Miami in early November, led the Dolphins with 35 yards on 13 carries.
While the NFL has yet to cancel a game in 2020 because of COVID-19, some have been moved to different days. The Dolphins, who were also without reserve running back Salvon Ahmed, who was ruled out Friday with a shoulder injury, received no such reprieve in Week 14.
The pandemic has resulted in more than 294,000 deaths in the U.S. alone, according to the CDC.
INJURIES
Right tackle Mike Remmers left the contest in the second half with a back injury and was replaced by rookie University of Missouri product Yasir Durant.
Cornerback Charvarius Ward briefly left for evaluation after suffering a head injury late in the third quarter, but Reid said Ward was cleared and returned to the game.
“He was checked for that and he was OK,” Reid said.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs travel to New Orleans for a heavyweight showdown with the Saints next Sunday.
This story was originally published December 13, 2020 at 3:45 PM.
