Goin' Sixty Again With Me-Chiefs VS Vikings-It Became Special

  With the specter of losing four straight games at home hanging n the air, and the inactive Patrick Mahomes on the field teasing the fans with a reasonably sprightly warmup prior to the game, the Chiefs and the Vikings crank it up on a pretty nice Sunday afternoon in Kansas City. It would turn out to be more than pretty nice.

     The Vikings are one of the best running teams in the league, and the Chiefs can’t stop anyone on the ground, so of course the Vikings come out and throw it on each play in a three and out fueled by a very poor Kirk Cousins throw to wide-open Adam Thielen that would have been an easy first down. After Britton Colquitt produces a fine punt, the Chiefs offense give his big brother Dustin the chance to match it quickly with a three and out of their own.

      The defense does it again, but it takes an Andy Reid challenge to get the three and out after a Mister Magoo spot on a Viking third down run gave them a temporary first down. This time the offense gets it rolling, and after twice previously not being able to hang on to two tough catches, Tyreek Hill makes a fabulous catch on an equally fine deep throw by Matt Moore. Presto, 40-yard TD throw and a 7-0 Chiefs lead.

     Eureka, it looked like the Chiefs were going to pitch a third straight three and out. Too good to be true. Charvarious Ward gets caught with a handful of Stefon Diggs jersey to keep the drive alive. It hurts. A series of third down conversions fuels a twelve play, 75-yard drive to tie the game. The Chiefs are doing a decent job against the run, but they have to sell out so much to do it that they are vulnerable on about any pass play.

     The Chiefs catch a nice break early in the second quarter when Kirk Cousins scrambles on third down and has an easy first down near midfield except he slides far too early. Coach Mike Zimmer is old school and punts, another mistake. The Chiefs grind it down the field, Alex Smith-style with a comfortable Matt Moore making some nice plays…..until he and Travis Kelce are not on the same page on the third and goal which forces the Chiefs to settle for a field goal. Kelce is pretty wide open, but Moore throws in when he is going out, and the field goal consolation prize makes it 10-7 Chiefs.

     The Chiefs are really settling in on defense more nicely then we are used to. They have bottled up the running game but made Kirk Cousins too uncomfortable to take advantage of his play-action chances. However, he gets ones more chance before the half, and turns it into three and a tie. But the Chiefs D still gets points for stiffening at the ten, and the three end zone throws that conclude the drive aren’t close. 10-10 at the break, and the Chiefs D allows only 135 yards.

     The second half begins dreadfully as Mecole Hardman, on the verge of breaking the second half kickoff, spits it up and the Vikings get it in plus territory. They cash it in when Ameer Abdullah is left all alone on a sixteen-yard TD pass, and I mean all alone. Consolation prize as Dan Bailey, last weeks NFC special teams player of the week, gets brought down to earth with a missed extra point. 16-10.

A three-and-out by the Chiefs sets up the first potential tipping point. Despite allowing another back to be completely uncovered for a big gainer, the defense stiffens and the crisis passes for the moment. The reward comes quickly as after Sanmy Watkins sets up second and short with a fantastic one hand catch, Damien Williams goes 91 yards on the longest NFL rushing TD of the year, and longest in Chiefs history.. Momentum switched in an instant. Chiefs 17-16.

A big ball to Tyreek Hill sets up the Chiefs inside the thirty but the drive dies there. Still, a nice three points, and with Bailey’s earlier extra point miss, the Vikings will need a touchdown to regain the lead. Check. 11 plays, 75 yards, Dalvin Cook finally got it rolling on the ground, and screens are hurting, too. Then the Chiefs have ten men on the field as Kirk Cousins drills a short TD pass to Kyle Rudolph. 23-20 Vikings and this tough, competitive, old-school game will be decided in the final eleven minutes.

Bad time for a three and out, and a big third down holding call (correct) on Travis Kelce makes it happen for the Vikings. The Vikings offense has a chance to put a clamp on the game. The clamp instead belongs to the resurgent Chiefs defense. Matt Moore giveth and taketh away quickly. He hangs in brilliantly on a deep ball that takes the Chiefs to the twenty, but he misses Kelce for a sure touchdown. A huge sack hands Harrison Butker the task of making a tying 54 yard field goal. Right down the pipe. 23-23.

2:30 as the Vikings get it back. The Chiefs defense is roaring now. They make three more sensational plays, and after Britton Colquitt shanks a punt the Chiefs are inside Vikings territory, already almost in field goal range. Wel,l until a huge sack sets them well back. But Moore to Kelce makes it realistic and after a few more yards from Hill, Harrison Butker completes an incredible win for the Chiefs with a 44-yard field goal.

This one says an incredible amount about the Chiefs. They hung in there all day, and were at their best when it most mattered. The defense still made their mistakes, but did a heap of things that will them a great deal of confidence. The game still looked like it was lost late, and they turned it up another notch. Patrick Mahomes is very likely back now to a 6-3 team that will be riding a high.

That was a special day at Arrowhead.