It was something of a surprise, the Chiefs with the ball on a third-and-7 play with just under two minutes to play from within field-goal range, choosing to call for a pass instead of a run that would have drained the clock before a game-winning field-goal attempt. The score was 17-16, Chargers, at the time, and the Chiefs were at the L.A. 20-yard line.
And it looked like a mistake when quarterback Patrick Mahomes was forced to scramble out of the pocket, unable to find an open receiver.
But as he curled toward the line of scrimmage, Mahomes found a familiar sight in a clearing just beyond the first-down marker. It was No. 87. Mahomas flung the ball and Travis Kelce made the catch, securing a first down and allowing the Chiefs to run the clock down to one second with two Mahomes kneels.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce
Denny Medley-Imagn Images
That set up Matthew Wirght’s game-winning “doink” kick off the left upright, for a 19-17 win.
“That was a play where you get Pat the ability to get out of the pocket and make a play with his arms or his legs and with that being said, we gotta find a way to get the first down,” Kelce said after the game. “So I just improvised a little bit off the initial route and found a void. Pat was right on cue, getting it to me at the last second.”
Kelce was asked what his message was for Mahomes after the play was made.
“Way to see it,” Kelce said. “Way to make a play, man. It fires you up when you can seal the game like that.”
It was yet another tight win for Mahomes, Kelce and the Chiefs, which has become the MO of this team. They’re 12-1, and with the win, they clinched another AFC West title.
