CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After the Kansas City Chiefs’ fifth walk-off win of the season on Sunday, quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he’s going to win any way he can, but it’s better to stress less in the end. he said.
“We need some explosiveness,” Mahomes said after the Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers 30-27 as time expired on rookie Spencer Shrader’s 31-yard field goal. “I hope we’re a little more settled in the fourth quarter.” he said. I always say heading into the playoffs or the second half of the season, we’ve been in moments like that before and it can be a good thing just by knowing how to exploit it. I’m here.
“But I want to win the game. [before] It’s the very last play. ”
The 10-1 Chiefs have won eight games by one point, tying an NFL record for most by any team through the first 11 games of a season. Half of their wins come down to the final play. Of those wins, one was decided by a blocked field goal, another by an overtime touchdown, one by an opposing receiver failing to step into the end zone, and now Two came from field goals.
Mahomes led the Chiefs to victory against the Panthers. The game started with two short completed passes, but the big play was Mahomes’ 33-yard scramble that put the Chiefs in field goal range.
By his own admission, Mahomes isn’t the fastest runner or the most elusive quarterback. But he’s talented.
“He has a great feel for the game. He knows through coverage where the players are, what they’re going to do through coverage, and he can feel the front line,” coach Andy Reid said.
Mahomes made some long runs late in the Chiefs’ most notable win. The longest play on the winning drive in Super Bowl XV against the Philadelphia Eagles was a 26-yard run by Mahomes.The longest play on the winning drive in last season’s Super Bowl XV against the San Francisco 49ers was Mahomes’ 26-yard run. It was 19 yards. run.
“We don’t plan anything like that in advance,” Mahomes said. “Whenever it comes down to it, you’ve got to make a play. I feel like I’m going to go out there and make a play.” That’s why I feel like it happens sometimes late in games.
“You don’t want to slip. You have to put your body on the line knowing you can take hits and stuff. But we were able to make some big runs and some big moments.”
Schrader joined the Chiefs two weeks ago as an emergency replacement for Harrison Butker, who underwent surgery for a torn meniscus. Schrader started two games against the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets before coming to the Chiefs in time for a game against the Buffalo Bills.
“I knew the opportunity was going to come, so I just tried to stay calm and understand that it was going to come at some point,” Schrader said. It comes from belief in the team that they’ll put you in that situation and you’ll go out there and beat it. ”
Butker has made a number of clutch kicks for the Chiefs this season, including another walk-off field goal, a 51-yarder against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Chiefs have confidence in Shrader, but said they aren’t sure how Shrader will react in a pressure situation, which is not uncommon for the Chiefs this year but is new to Shrader.
“That’s a lot of pressure for a rookie,” Reid said. “He’s here now to replace a future Hall of Famer. It’s not easy to do that in these games.”
