Even before the fourth lead change of the fourth quarter,
well before the 1,001st yard of combined offense was tallied, the Kansas City
Chiefs and the Rams already knew this was a classic.
Two powerhouse NFL teams at the peak of their brilliance
dueled deep into the night at an ecstatic Coliseum, racking up eye-popping
numbers that stretched the box score and credulity.
There were 14 touchdowns, including three by defensive
players. There were 56 first downs. There were 105 points, with 50 from each
team -- the first time that's ever happened in an NFL game.
In the final moments, the Rams did just enough to leave with
a win they'll savor for years.
And if these teams meet again at the Super Bowl in 2 1/2
months, the Chiefs will remember the sting from coming up just short.
Jared Goff threw
a 40-yard touchdown pass to Gerald
Everett for the go-ahead score with 1:49 to play, and the Rams
outlasted the Chiefs for a 54-51 victory Monday night in a showdown that
somehow surpassed the hype.
Patrick
Mahomes passed for a career-high 478 yards with six touchdown
passes in his latest jaw-dropping effort for the Chiefs (9-2), but he also
threw two interceptions in the final 1:18 as the Rams (10-1) claimed the
highest-scoring Monday night game ever played.
The highest-scoring game in the league this season was an
offensive fantasia of ingenious scheming from mastermind coaches Andy Reid and
Sean McVay -- along with 21 combined penalties to keep things interesting. The
second half was an extended thriller featuring 59 combined points.
Both teams scratched out fourth-quarter leads, only to see
them evaporate. Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill with
a 73-yard TD pass just when the Rams appeared to be pulling away early in the
fourth, and Goff replied with two late TD passes to Everett , a backup tight
end with 31 career catches before this game.
And this game was ultimately decided by defense: Marcus Peters and Lamarcus
Joyner came up with late interceptions as the Rams stopped
Mahomes' final efforts.
The Coliseum's first Monday night game since 1985 was staged
on short notice after the NFL moved the matchup from Mexico City to Los Angeles
six days ago due to poor field conditions at Azteca Stadium. The Rams used the
opportunity to give free tickets to thousands of first responders and families
recovering from the dual tragedies of nearby wildfires and a mass shooting in
Thousand Oaks.
Those fans got an incredible treat for their reward -- and
if the video-game-like spectacle they saw turns out to be a Super Bowl preview,
Atlanta will get an All-Madden-level show as well.
This game has loomed in capital letters on the NFL's
regular-season schedule ever since these teams confirmed their status as
offensive powerhouses in September. The Rams and Chiefs are the league's
biggest favorites along with New Orleans and New England -- the teams
responsible for the only other losses by Los Angeles and Kansas City this
season.
Mahomes had the most prolific passing game in the NFL this
year, but he and Goff both made key mistakes.
Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam returned
Mahomes' fumble and a one-armed interception for the first two TDs of his NFL
career, while Kansas City's Allen Bailey returned
Goff's fumble for a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
BIG FINISH
The final seven minutes were particularly frantic and sweet:
After Chris Conley caught
his second TD pass from Mahomes for a 51-47 lead with 2:47 to play, Goff
replied with a 75-yard TD drive in 58 seconds, hitting Everett down the Rams'
frenzied sideline.
Peters -- the former Pro Bowl cornerback traded by Kansas
City to Los Angeles last winter -- then intercepted Mahomes' underthrown ball
near midfield with 1:18 to play, but the Rams only managed to take 14 seconds
off the clock on their next three plays.
The Coliseum roiled in anticipation of a big finish by
Mahomes, but the Chiefs were pushed back to their 13 with 50 seconds left
thanks to a booming punt by Johnny Hekker.
Joyner intercepted Mahomes' final desperate heave with 13 seconds left.
TIMELY DEFENSE
For all the offensive brilliance on display, both defenses
made game-changing plays as well.
Aaron Donald forced
two fumbles while sacking Mahomes and Ebukam returned the first for a TD in the
second quarter. The Rams' unsung outside linebacker then made a spectacular
one-armed interception at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter before
returning it 25 yards for a score, powering over Mahomes to reach the end zone.
INJURIES
CHIEFS: WR Sammy Watkins had
one catch for 4 yards against his former team after missing last week's game
with a foot injury.
RAMS: CB Troy Hill,
WR Brandin Cooks and
Peters all went to the locker room early in the second half with cramps. They
all returned.
UP NEXT
CHIEFS: Following
the Chiefs Bye week, they will travel to Oakland to face the Raiders on
December 2
RAMS: Following
the Rams Bye week, they will travel to Detroit to face the Lions on December 2
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