Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs Survive Feisty Panthers for Too-Close Win.
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The Kansas City Chiefs played the Carolina Panthers far closer than fans are comfortable with in Week 12.
As 10.5-point favorites, the Kansas City Chiefs were supposed to roll into Bank of America Stadium and dismantle the Carolina Panthers.
Instead, Sunday turned into a contest far too close for comfort. Kansas City managed to escape with a 30-27 win.
Patrick Mahomes was dastardly efficient in the first half.
However, both teams traded field goals for much of the opening act, interrupted by two Noah Gray touchdowns.
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Panthers quarterback Bryce Young answered back in the second half.
opening the third quarter with a 15-play touchdown drive that culminated in a David Moore touchdown.
hitting receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the back of the end zone.
If the first half was defined by the Chiefs bending and not breaking, the second half was instead underlined by a promising offensive effort from the Panthers.
Young led another scoring drive in the beginning of the fourth quarter, this time an additional field goal.
Kansas City was supposed to dominate on Sunday.
Dealing with a one-possession lead in the fourth quarter wasn’t a part of those plans.
The offense was forced to punt on its first drive of the fourth quarter.
The defense responded in kind with a successful stop of its own.
Ultimately, the Chiefs found themselves with a lead and the ball with four minutes to go.
giving the consistent rushing offense a chance to seal the game.
The underwhelming performance continued with another punt that gave Young .
having perhaps his best game of the season .
a chance to tie the game.
One cold-blooded fourth-down conversion later.
and the Panthers were in Kansas City territory.
Things got much closer when receiver Adam Thielen drew a defensive pass interference call in the end zone.
giving the Panthers the ball at the one-yard line.
Running back Chuba Hubbard scored on the next play.
Carolina’s first two-point conversion attempt was negated by another pass interference call.
On the second try, Hubbard finished the job, punching it in to tie the game at 27 apiece.
Of course, that gave Mahomes the ball back with a chance to end the Panthers’ hopes.
He did so in devastating fashion.
A 32-yard run from the quarterback immediately put Kansas City back in control.
The best player on the planet came through when the Chiefs needed him, setting up a game-winning field goal attempt from backup kicker Spencer Shrader.
He converted, sending Kansas City to 10-1 in nail-biting fashion.
