After suffering their first loss of the 2024 NFL season against the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs bounced back with a road win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes, however, wasn’t completely satisfied with his team’s performance.
While the Chiefs were in control for much of the contest, a poor fourth quarter almost proves costly for Mahomes and company at the Bank of America Stadium. In the end, Kansas City won by just three points, courtesy of a dramatic field goal by Spencer Shrader.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Mahomes admitted he would prefer not to depend on late plays to win games, making it clear to his teammates that the Chiefs should try and score points earlier.
“I’d love to win a game not by the very last play,” Mahomes said, as quoted by Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. Many of the Chiefs’ wins in the 2024 NFL season were decided in the final minutes, or even seconds.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts prior to a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 24, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Other dramatic wins for the Chiefs in the 2024 NFL season
In the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, tight end Isiah Likely’s toe being out of bounds saved the Chiefs from a possible late loss. In Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, a 51-yard field goal from Harrison Butker gave the Chiefs a 26-25 win in the final play of the game.
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Most recently, Kansas City had to go to overtime to take down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before a last-second field goal block gave Mahomes and company the win over the Denver Broncos.
Mahomes sets up Chiefs’ game-winning field goal in Carolina
The Chiefs were leading 27-16 after three quarters, but the Panthers outscored them 11-3 in the fourth. Those three points came with Shrader’s 31-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game to give the Chiefs a hard-fought 30-27 win in Carolina. But the kicker’s heroic moment was possible thanks to Mahomes.
With less than 50 seconds remaining, the Chiefs quarterback used his legs to put his team in a position to win the game. Mahomes scrambled for 33 yards, leaving Kansas City in field goal range. All Shrader had to do was put the ball between the goalposts, which he did.
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Mahomes praises Chiefs, Bryce Young
Despite the poor fourth quarter by the Chiefs, Mahomes knows his teammates showed positive things in Carolina, especially on offense: “I thought we did a great job moving the ball.“
Besides, the 2x NFL MVP also credited the Panthers for making things hard for the Chiefs. Mahomes heaped praise on Bryce Young, who had his best game of the year on Sunday: “I know he has it. . . He gave us a scare today because he played his tail off.”
