Buccaneers Fall To Kansas City Chiefs 30-24 in Week 9

Despite a steady rain that began hours before kickoff, the game was relatively clean on both sides. The two teams combined for nine penalties and CB Josh Hayes’ fumble recovery in the second quarter, after S Tykee Smith had punched the ball out of Kelce’s hands. Tampa Bay’s defense allowed 314 yards in regulation, and defensive linemen Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea recorded two sacks apiece. S Antoine Winfield Jr. led the defense with 12 tackles and OLB Yaya Diaby added two tackles for loss.

RB Rachaad White gave the Buccaneers their first lead early in the second quarter when he ran seven yards for a touchdown, and K Chase McLaughlin hit a 47-yard field goal in the third period to put the Bucs up 17-10. But Mahomes responded with a 78-yard touchdown drive that drained eight-and-a-half minutes off the clock and ended in a five-yard touchdown pass to WR DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins, just acquired in a trade with Tennessee last week, caught eight passes for 86 yards and two scores.

The Bucs won the toss and deferred (a departure from their usual strategy this season), and thus Kansas City started the game at its own 30 after a touchback. A five-yard run by Kareem Hunt and a short pass to Kelce made it third-and-one and a second-effort by Hunt got the ball just over the line to gain. A quick pass over the middle got 11 more to Kelce to get the ball just across midfield. Three plays later, on third-and-three, Kelce ran an in-and-out route and Mahomes found him for a gain of nine and a new set of downs. Replay assistance helped overrule what was originally called a catch by WR Xavier Worthy at the Bucs’ two-yard line, and two plays later Vea broke through for a coverage sack to force a punt from the Bucs’ 41.

After a punt that was fair caught at the Bucs’ 6, Otton went in motion and then caught a quick pass out right for a gain of nine. White made a nice cutback on a second-down throw to add 11 more to the Chiefs’ 26. Irving’s first run gained three yards but Mayfield’s next pass was nearly intercepted. On third-and-seven, Mayfield’s pass was tipped at the line and the Bucs had to punt. Return man Mecole Hardman broke containment on is runback but LB J.J. Russell was able to prevent a touchdown with a tackle at the Chiefs’ 48.

A play-action rollout pass to WR DeAndre Hopkins started the Cheifs’ second drive with a quick eight yards, and Mahomes followed with a quick slant to the same target for 17 more to the Bucs’ 30. Two plays later, a patented Mahomes scramble got the ball down to the Bucs’ 20, but OLB Yaya Diaby sniffed out an end-around to Worthy and dropped him for a loss of 10. On the next two plays, David reacted quickly to short passes and stopped each for gains of four, leading to Harrison Butker’s 40-yard field goal to open the scoring.

After a touchback, Irving ran into a wall on first down for no gain, then gained four on a second-down counter. A defensive holding call gave the Bucs a first down at their own 39, and a three-yard run by White brought the first quarter to an end. The Bucs started the second quarter with a delay of game but Otton turned a short pass into an 11-yard gain and, on third-and-one, Shepard found a seam on an end-around to dahs all the way to the KC 33. Irving made the most of screen in a crowd to get four, then cut back up the middle on an extended handoff for a first down at the Chiefs’ 21. Two short passes left the Bucs in a third-and-nine but Shepard got wide open near the right sideline for a gain of 13 to the seven. A pitch to White on first down was perfectly blocked and he glided into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

After a touchback, CB Zyon McCollum ropped Kelce for a loss of one on a tight end screen, but Mahomes came back with a 12-yard completion to WR Justin Watson. A three-yard run by Hunt and a three-yard sack by Vea canceled each other out but Watson got wide open down the right hashmarks for a 19-yard gain into Bucs’ territory. A great open-field tackle by David on a swing pass to Worthy put Kansas City into another third down at the 38, and Vea hit Mahomes as he threw but the resulting lob was somehow hauled in by Hopkins at the three between three Bucs defenders. Two runs by Hunt got two yards, and Mahomes went back to Hopkins in the back of the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown on third down.

A kickoff that bounced to Irving and was downed in the end zone resulted in a touchback to the 20, and a sack of Mayfield by George Karlaftis two plays later made it third-and-10. White fought through defenders on a third-down screen but couldn’t get to the line of gain resulting in a punt as the two-minute warning arrived. Under pressure, Trenton Gill got off a punt that took a favorable bounce to the Chiefs’ 17.

A little flip over the middle to RB Samaje Perine started the Chiefs’ next drive with an 11-yard gain. Mahomes’ next two passes were incomplete, the second pressured by Vea but the Chiefs’ star passer moved the sticks again with a 21-yard strike to Kelce to the Chiefs’ 49. After a KC timeout, Mahomes threw to the end zone for Watson but it was out of his reach. On the next play, Kelce caught a short pass but Smith knocked the ball out of his hands and Hayes fell on it to give the Bucs possession at their own 45.