The Kansas City Chiefs fought back from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit on Sunday afternoon to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 23-20, in overtime.
It was a vintage performance by Kansas City, which didn't possess the lead at any point in the matchup until kicker Harrison Butker nailed a 27-yard, game-winning field goal with just under two minutes remaining in the extra period.
"This is exactly what we needed," said quarterback Patrick Mahomes. "To win against a really good football team [after] the game [wasn't] going [our] way, [we] could've folded in that situation…[but] the guys responded and then found a way to win. We needed a win like this, and now let's just try to build off of it."
Indeed, things certainly didn't look promising when the Chiefs, trailing by 11 points, lost a red zone fumble early in the fourth quarter. It was Kansas City's second giveaway of the day, and considering the caliber of the Chiefs' opponent – an Indianapolis squad that came into the game leading the NFL in virtually every offensive metric – a Kansas City comeback didn't look likely.
The Chiefs' defense had other ideas, however, and following a quick three-and-out, the Colts punted the ball back to Kansas City, providing the Chiefs with an opportunity that they didn't waste.
Mahomes proceeded to engineer an 11-play, 61-yard drive on that ensuing possession, leading Kansas City right back down the field before tailback Kareem Hunt plunged forward for a 2-yard touchdown. It was part of a big game for Hunt, who carried the ball 30 times for 104 yards on Sunday.
"He's a warrior, man" Mahomes said of Hunt. "I've known that since the day I met him. I thought it was awesome to see how he just responded over and over again. If a run got stuffed, [the] next run, he got five [or] six yards. [He] battled through tackles."
After Hunt's efforts, Mahomes then found wide receiver Rashee Rice for a successful two-point conversion, and mere moments after Indianapolis looked poised to put the game away, Kansas City was only down three points.
The two teams then traded punts across the following two possessions before the Chiefs – beginning at their own 3-yard line – embarked on a 15-play, 87-yard series that ended with a 25-yard, game-tying field goal as time expired in regulation. The possession included a 47-yard strike from Mahomes to Rice, who turned a 2nd-and-13 deep in Kansas City territory into a drive that had palpable momentum.
Mahomes then found Rice again – this time for 19 yards on 4th-and-3 – to move the chains and march into reasonable field goal range for Butker, who tied the game a handful of snaps later.
It was all part of a tremendous game for Rice, who tallied eight catches for 141 yards – 132 of which took place in the second half – as Kansas City racked up 494 yards of offense and 33 first downs. A handful of miscues, including a 1-for-6 mark in the red zone, meant that the Chiefs didn't translate the vast majority of that production to the scoreboard, but despite some early struggles, Rice's efforts and, ultimately, Butker's 25-yard kick – his fourth of the day – sent the game to overtime.
"[Rice] stepped up and made plays happen," Mahomes said. "He wants to be great, and he wants to be that guy in that moment."
The Chiefs' defense answered the call when overtime began, too, as Kansas City forced yet another three-and-out on Indianapolis' opening series. It marked the fourth three-and-out in a row for the Colts, who entered the game with a league-low 13 three-and-out possessions all season. Central to that effort was the Chiefs' performance against the league's leading rusher in running back Jonathan Taylor, who recorded just 58 yards on the ground during Sunday's game.
Kansas City took over following the ensuing punt, but facing a 3rd-and-7 deep in their own territory, it looked as if the Chiefs may give the Colts the ball right back until Mahomes found wide receiver Xaiver Worthy for 31 yards to move the chains.
"The one to Xavier wasn't necessarily my first read," Mahomes said. "[That was] just [about] sitting in the pocket and making the throw."
Mahomes found Rice for 21 yards two snaps later, moving the Chiefs comfortably into field goal range and setting the stage for Butker, who proceeded to win the game with swing of his leg.
It completed a relentless comeback by Kansas City, which trailed by exactly 11 points at multiple points on Sunday. The Chiefs fell behind by a mark of 14-3 early in the game, which included a touchdown on a short field following an interception inside Kansas City's 5-yard line. The Chiefs were then down by 11 points once again entering the fourth quarter, but despite the circumstances, Kansas City went on to outscore the Colts by a mark of 14-0 in response to the latter deficit.
"The part I appreciate as a coach the most [is] just the attitude," said Head Coach Andy Reid. "It's a compliment to the players, it's a compliment to the coaches, [and] the support from our building. Nobody has been hanging their head and going, 'Oh no, it's over.' That has not been the mentality within our building. Everybody had a piece of that, and it carried over to the field."
In terms of injuries, offensive guard Trey Smith (ankle), defensive back Chris Roland-Wallace (back) and tight end Noah Gray (concussion protocol) left the game early.
Now at 6-5 on the year, the Chiefs will quickly turn the page to a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.
