There are levels when it comes to coaching. Third-year coach Todd Bowles made an egregious and head scratching error in judgement after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored in the final minute of regulation on Monday night.
No team has been able to slay the dragon, the Kansas City Chiefs, in the last 14 games, going back to last December. When you have an opportunity from two yards out to knock off the back-to-back Super Bowl champions who are poised to go for a third, as the Buccaneers did when they scored with 27 seconds left Monday at Arrowhead Stadium, you take your shot right then and there.
Bowles played it safe and it backfired. Instead of going for the 2-point conversion and the win as a massive underdog, the Buccaneers head coach opted to kick an extra point to force overtime. Everyone in the building understood how that could go terribly wrong, and it did.
The Chiefs won the all-important coin toss in overtime, and there was no surprise at all of what went down next. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, like the magician he is, drove his squad right downfield, as he has done countless times in clutch situations. And running back Kareem Hunt scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to end the game, keeping the Chiefs undefeated at 8-0 with a 30-24 win in inclement weather.
The Chiefs did not bring their ‘A Game’. They were expected to beat the Buccaneers handily, who were a .500 team, at 4-4 coming in, without their weapons. But it was a struggle. They were on the ropes, but Bowles decided against going for the knockout punch when he had the chance. There is a reason why the Chiefs are perfect on the season at 8-0. Perhaps Bowles had not done his research and was unaware of the Chiefs’ history when he chose to kick the extra point.
After the game in his media session, Bowles said he gave “very minor” thought to going for 2: “With the wet conditions on the field, we felt like we had to go into overtime instead of going for 2,” Bowles told reporters. “We had our shots, and we lost the game.”
The Buccaneers came out of the gate strong. The defense did an admirable job holding the Chiefs under wraps, though rookie Xavier Worthy’s inability to realize where he was on the field and get his feet in bounds on what would have been a long catch to about the 1-yard line helped Tampa’s cause. Rachaad White, who is a Kansas City native, scored the first touchdown of the game to give Tampa Bay an early 7-3 lead.
The Chiefs warmed up to the task after that. Mahomes connected with DeAndre Hopkins on an epic throw into double coverage downfield for a 35-yard gain which set up a 1-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins.
Hopkins did a celebration dance from the 2000 movie “Remember the Titans” after that, showing off his sense of humor to go with his red-zone ability. The Chiefs led 10-7 at halftime. Everyone has seen this game play out during the Mahomes era. Eventually the Chiefs take over and win.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut the Buccaneers were unphased. Baker Mayfield kept finding tight end Cade Otton, who is practically Tampa Bay’s only reliable receiver due to injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Otton scored a touchdown and gave the Buccaneers the lead. A field goal later in the third quarter put the Buccaneers ahead 17-10. The Chiefs had a dog fight that no one saw coming on their hands.
The Chiefs are supposed to bury most teams, especially at home. But Kansas City looked a step slow at times. The Chiefs’ offense, which seemed to be getting right in the second quarter, were stuck in the mud for most of the third. And Tampa Bay was not about to bow down.
However, these are the Chiefs we are talking about and, they usually find a way.
The Chiefs got back in the game on the ground. With heavy rain starting to fall, the Chiefs kept feeding Hunt. His hard running set up a game-tying touchdown, but it came with a scare that had everyone holding their collective breath. Mahomes flipped a touchdown pass to Samaje Perine but took an awkward step and had to be helped off the field. But Mahomes was looked at by athletic trainers and was jogging on the sideline before Kansas City’s next series.
The Buccaneers had a quick three-and-out, and that was the slight opening the Chiefs needed. Kansas City, with Mahomes moving around like nothing happened, grinded out another methodical drive in the rain. Hopkins scored his second touchdown of the game to give the Chiefs a 24-17 lead with 4:17 remaining on the clock. Hopkins will be a valuable weapon for them near the goal line.
The Chiefs’ defense has been out of this world all season and really over the last two years, and on the Buccaneers’ next drive Kansas City got a key sack. The Buccaneers decided to punt on fourth-and-16, and it seemed like the game might be over at that point. But not so fast. The Buccaneers got a stop to get the ball back on a punt. The Chiefs would usually never give the ball back in that situation, but it was not a vintage performance on Monday night.
The Buccaneers drove into Chiefs territory needing a touchdown. Mayfield kept completing passes in the driving rain, moving Tampa Bay downfield. Mayfield located Trey Palmer for a pass on a crossing route that got the Bucs down to the 1-yard line with 33 seconds left. Then Mayfield hit Ryan Miller for a touchdown. The Buccaneers could have gone for the 2-point conversion and the lead, which seemed logical, but Bowles decided on the extra point and the tie. The Buccaneers got a stop to force a punt and the game went into a 10-minute overtime.
The Chiefs did not win in regulation even with a full arsenal of timeouts available, but they drove into Buccaneers territory right away after winning the coin toss in the extra session. Mahomes gathered his composure and calmly got the Chiefs into the red zone on their first drive. He kept finding ‘Old Reliable’ Travis Kelce for gains. From the 2-yard line, Hunt found the end zone for the walk-off score.
When asked if he was surprised that Bowles’ did not go for 2, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, “No. But I’m glad he didn’t.”
Tampa Bay hosts Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Kansas City hosts Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
