The Kansas City Chiefs, behind 254 yards and three touchdowns passing from Patrick Mahomes, won in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon, 32-29 against the NFC South-leading Saints.
Mahomes outplayed fellow All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees in helping Kansas City improve to 13-1, leaving the Super Bowl champions in pole position for the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, and a first-round bye. Brees, in his first game back from rib fractures and a punctured lung suffered a month ago, passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns, but had rare accuracy issues, hitting on less than 50 percent of his attempts.
Mahomes scoring passes went for five yards each to Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman, while the second scoring strikes with a one-yard shovel pass going quickly behind the Chiefs offensive line to All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.
New Orleans, down two scores midway through the final quarter, made a late surge at the Chiefs, with a strip sack by Trey Hendrickson gave the Saints great field position, quickly turned into a 14-yard touchdown pass. A Kansas City field goal shoved the lead to 32-22, before New Orleans finished the scoring on a 17-yard Brees to Lil’Jordan Humphrey pass with 2:06 remaining.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Chiefs rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was tackled awkwardly on a run to the Saints 7 yard line, leaving the game with a leg injury. Citing sources, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Edwards-Helaire suffered a high ankle sprain and strained hip. The LSU product is expected to miss the final two games of the regular season, and the Chiefs coaching staff holding out hope that the rookie could return during the postseason. In Edwards-Helaire’s absence, the Chiefs are expected to lean more on veteran running back Le’Veon Bell, who rushed 15 times for 62 yards and a 12-yard touchdown in Sunday’s win at the Superdome.
Here is the NFL scoreboard from Sunday, December 20, 2020:
Los Angeles Chargers 30, Las Vegas Raiders 27 (Thursday)
Buffalo Bills 48, Denver Broncos 19 (Saturday)
Green Bay Packers 24, Carolina Panthers 16 (Saturday)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Atlanta Falcons 27
Baltimore Ravens 40, Jacksonville Jaguars 14
Dallas Cowboys 41, San Francisco 49ers 33
Indianapolis Colts 27, Houston Texans 20
Miami Dolphins 22, New England Patriots 12
Chicago Bears 33, Minnesota Vikings 27
Tennessee Titans 46, Detroit Lions 25
Seattle Seahawks 20, Washington Football Team 15
Arizona Cardinals 33, Philadelphia Eagles 26
New York Jets 23, Los Angeles Rams 20
Cleveland Browns 20, New York Giants 6
