A last-second field goal sailed toward the end zone.
As the Kansas City Chiefs’ sideline tracked the trajectory of a ball heading directly for the left upright post, head coach Andy Reid kept looking the other way.
Patrick Mahomes is the leader of the luckiest team in NFL historyCredit: Getty
Reid couldn’t bear to watch another last-second Chiefs contest.
And as the “luckiest team in NFL history” captured a 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football, all Reid could do was credit a third-string kicker who barely made a game-winning 31-yard field goal.
Kansas City is tied with the Detroit Lions for the best record (12-1) in the NFL this season.
But with the Chiefs attempting to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowls, it’s been a season of close call after close call for the 66-year-old Reid.
On top of 10 wins by a touchdown or less in 2024, the Chiefs have become the first team in NFL history to have three different kickers convert game-winning field goals as time expired, per NFL Research.
And remarkably the Chiefs have 15 consecutive victories in games decided by one score – the longest such streak in NFL history.
Third-stringer Matthew Wright was just the latest kicker to save Kansas City — and Reid.
“I trusted Matthew, so I was good with where we were,” Reid said.
“Percentages are pretty high. I know we won a game in that same situation on the opposite end, so I get it, but he’s a solid gamer, so I wasn’t too worried about it.”
Wright needed every one of the 31 yards to make the field goal, which was set up by another Patrick Mahomes game-winning drive. The kick bounced off the left upright and remained true, sending the Chiefs into an instant celebration.
Andy Reid couldn’t look at the field as the kick went upCredit: x@nfl
Chiefs coaches celebrated but Reid didn’t see what happenedCredit: x@nfl
Big Red finally enjoyed the win after he heard the crowd roarCredit: x@nfl
Reid couldn’t watch the kick, though, and fans were left amazed that Kansas City somehow win another last-second game.
“Chiefs are the luckiest team in NFL history,” one fan tweeted.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” a second fan posted. “The Chiefs are truly the luckiest sports team to ever exist.”
“Chiefs for the win off the upright,” a third fan posted. “Have you ever seen a luckier team in football?”
Since barely beating the Baltimore Ravens to kick off the 2024 season, the Chiefs started 9-0 and have relied on a toe being out of bounds, a blocked field goal, a missed snap and a “doink” to improve to 12-1.
Last week, Kansas City was set to lose in a stunner to Las Vegas.
But Las Vegas botched a snap and the Chiefs survived again.
No wonder that Reid can’t even bother to watch last-second drama anymore.
He didn’t celebrate on Sunday night until he heard the crowd roar.
“You can’t make this stuff up,” one fan tweeted.
“These guys win the lottery every single week,” a second fan posted.
“Whatever the odds are that the Chiefs will win the Super Bowl by having their opponent’s game-winning FG struck by a bolt of lightning, they aren’t high enough,” a third fan wrote.
Mahomes completed 24-of-37 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown and an 88.8 rating.
Travis Kelce tied for a team-high with five catches for 45 yards as he tried to improve his consistency with his QB.
In the end, a favorable doink was Kansas City’s best offensive weapon at the perfect time.
The Chiefs have now clinched the AFC West title for a ninth consecutive season and with Buffalo losing to the Los Angeles Rams, Reid’s squad now have a two-game lead at the top of the Conference – although the Bills have the tiebreaker.
Kansas City finishes with the Browns, Texans, Steelers, Broncos over the final four weeks of the regular season.
