KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for a season-high 352 yards, Kareem Hunt ran for 104 yards and a touchdown, and Harrison Butker’s fifth field goal of the game gave the Kansas City Chiefs a come-from-behind 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Rashee Rice had eight catches for 141 yards, including two crucial ones on the Chiefs’ tying touchdown drive in regulation and another in overtime, after Kansas City (6-5) had forced the high-powered Colts (8-3) to punt on a fourth consecutive three-and-out.
Butker ended the game with a 27-yard field goal with just under two minutes left in overtime, potentially keeping the Chiefs’ playoff hopes alive. The reigning AFC champions had lost their previous two games, and another defeat against one of the hottest teams in the NFL on Sunday would have left Andy Reid’s team needing a whole lot of help to make it back to the postseason.
The Colts blew a 20-9 fourth-quarter lead thanks in part to some questionable play-calling — and some worse execution.
They went almost entirely away from running back Jonathan Taylor down the stretch, putting the game instead in Daniel Jones’ hands.
He wound up with 181 yards passing and two touchdowns, but most of that production came in the first half. Jones was just 8 of 18 for 83 yards in the second half, which allowed Mahomes and Co. to mount a comeback that injected some life in a dim season.
Taylor, meanwhile, only carried 16 times for 58 yards in his first game since a record-setting performance against the Falcons, when the Colts’ star ran for 244 yards, piled up 286 from scrimmage and reached the end zone three times in an overtime win.
The Chiefs have struggled all season with turnovers at inopportune times, and another set the tone for the first half. Mahomes had a pass from his 4-yard line batted by Laiatu Latu, who brought it in himself for the defensive end’s third pick of the season.
Two players later, Jones hit Michael Pittman to give Indianapolis a 7-0 lead.
The Chiefs answered with the first of two grinding, eight-plus minute first-half drives, but each netted just a field goal. And when the Colts moved briskly downfield again, and Jones found Drew Ogletree in the back of the end zone, they had built a 14-3 advantage.
The Colts were still clinging to 20-9 lead as the game headed to the fourth quarter.
Just as he’s done so many times in his career, though, Mahomes mounted another comeback. He marched Kansas City 56 yards before Hunt’s touchdown dive, then Mahomes found Rice for a 2-point conversion to close within a field goal with 8 1/2 minutes to go.
The Chiefs defense proceeded to step up, forcing a series of three-and-outs by the league’s No. 1 offense.
Kansas City took over after the second one with 4:43 left at its 6. Mahomes hit Rice for 47 yards, then he found him again on fourth-and-3 near midfield for a 19-yard gain. Hunt’s dive on third-and-1 gave the Chiefs first down at the Colts 2 with a minute to go, but he was stuffed on the next play, Mahomes threw incomplete on the next, and he was sacked on third down.
Butker banged through his fourth field goal, a 25-yard chip-shot as time expired, to send the game to overtime.
Turned out the Chiefs would give Butker another chance a few minutes later, this time to win the game.
