A familiar script was playing out again Sunday afternoon in Denver.Trailing 28-24 with 4 seconds to play and the ball at the 1-yard line, Kansas City put the ball in the hands of quarterback Patrick Mahomes expecting the type of late, comeback victory on which he has built a career.Mahomes threw for a go-ahead touchdown — until a flag for a false start was thrown just as his receiver, Rashee Rice, caught the would-be game-winning pass.Backed up five yards and given a final play to decide the AFC West showdown, Mahomes dropped back to pass but this time was sacked to send the Chiefs to 5-2 and the Broncos to 6-2.
The ending was particularly nail-biting.But it was just one close game in a season full of them.
It marked the 71st game of this season decided by one score or less — tying the record for the most through Week 8 since the 1970 merger.The spotlight will all be on the final three plays.
Before the game-ending sack, Denver stuffed star Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III on a short attempt from the 1-yard line, leading to the play on which a flinch by offensive tackle Jaylon Moore earned a false-start flag and negated Kansas City’s go-ahead touchdown.“I didn’t see it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
“I saw him move his head, but I didny’t see” a penalty.The narrow outcome also will spark more debate about the job security of Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.When Butker, Kansas City’s kicker since 2017, signed a four-year contract worth more than a reported $25 million in 2024, he’d made 89.1% of his field goal attempts while helping the Chiefs win three Super Bowls.For SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSTwo executives tried to build their dream of a never-ending cruise.
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