Clutch Chiefs escape with another one-score win, 30-27

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs finally got the start they wanted. They just didn’t exactly get the finish they desired. But a win is a win in the National Football League.

Mahomes broke the Panthers’ backs with a clutch, 23-yard run, helping to set up Spencer Schrader’s 31-yard field goal with no time remaining and allow Kansas City (10-1) to escape with a 30-27 win at Carolina (3-8) on Sunday. Kansas City has now won 13 straight one-score games.

“You always want to have some blowouts and be a little calmer in the fourth quarter,” said Mahomes after improving to 19-4 after a loss and 25-5 against the NFC. “But I’ve always said it can be a good thing as you get to the playoffs and later in the season just knowing that you’ve been in those moments before. And knowing how to attack it, play by play, not making it too big of a moment. But, no, I would say, I would love to win a game not being on the very last play.”

Before that last play, Kansas City’s vaunted defense saw Bryce Young turn in the best game in his fledgling NFL career. Down 27-19 late in the fourth quarter, the Carolina quarterback calmly drove the Panthers 49 yards on five plays, including a 13-yard completion to Adam Thielen on fourth-and-3. On the next play, Thielen drew a pass-interference flag on Chamarri Conner, setting up Chuba Hubbard’s 1-yard touchdown with 1:46 left. Then, with Carolina going for the tie on a two-point attempt, Kansas City committed pass interference again before Hubbard knotted the game with another scoring run.

Young was 21 of 35 for 263 yards without an interception. He also threw a 1-yard touchdown to David Moore, completing a 15-play, 70-yard drive that cut the Chiefs’ lead to 20-16.

But long before that, Mahomes made sure the Chiefs did something they haven’t done recently: Start fast. After Samaje Perine returned the opening kickoff 56 yards, Mahomes hit tight end Noah Gray on a 35-yard touchdown down the left sideline to give the Chiefs a 7-0 advantage just 1:25 into the game. In fact, the Chiefs scored on each of their first five possessions.

Mahomes finished 27 of 37 for 269 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. After throwing at least one interception in each of his first seven games, Mahomes now has three zero-interception games over his last four. Tight end Travis Kelce, who had six receptions for 62 yards, surpassed Antonio Gates (11,841) for the third-most receiving yards by a tight end ever. Only Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (15,127) and Jason Witten (13,046) have more. Kelce now has 11,897 in his career.

Kansas City, the first team in NFL history to win eight of its first 11 games by seven points or fewer, has a short week. The Chiefs host the Raiders (2-9) in the NFL’s annual Black Friday game (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

For more information on the Chiefs and Panthers, visit the Kansas City and Carolina team pages at ProFootballPost.com.