The Chiefs’ late-game safety was a bad beat for bettors, but here’s why they did it
Chiefs punter Matt Araiza now has one of the worst rushing averages in NFL playoff history.
Not that Araiza cares about that.
With 15 seconds to play in the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Houston Texans in Saturday’s AFC Divisional Round playoff game on Saturday, Araiza took an intentional safety.
The Chiefs led by 11 points and faced a fourth-down play on their own 18-yard line. Araiza was in punt formation when he took the snap and ran out of the end zone for a safety. This was a rush of negative-18 yards.
ESPN’s Joe Buck noted that the margin of the Chiefs’ victory changed from 11 points to 9 points and left unsaid what others certainly mentioned: The betting line showed the Chiefs as a 9 1/2-point favorite.
Many people certainly realized how that safety changed the betting outcome.
Why they did it
It may seem odd to give up two points, but the Chiefs had two reasons for doing it.
First, it ran a few more seconds off the clock.
But more importantly, the Chiefs avoided the possibility of a Texans blocked punt that could have led to a touchdown.
The Chiefs knew that even with a safety, they would have a two-possession lead, and that was better than potentially giving up seven points.
This story was originally published January 18, 2025 at 7:14 PM.
