The Kansas City Chiefs dropped a tough one on Sunday, falling to the Cincinnati Bengals, 34-31, on the final play of the game.
Here are some quick notes about the loss.
1. Despite the outcome, Patrick Mahomes put together another strong performance.
Mahomes completed 26-of-35 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, marking his fourth-straight game with a passer rating (113.9) north of 100. The 2018 NFL MVP currently ranks third in the league in passing touchdowns (35) and sixth in passing yards (4,569) with one more game to go.
Additionally, Mahomes is just the fourth player in league history to tally at least three seasons with 4,500+ passing yards and 35+ passing touchdowns, joining Tom Brady (5), Drew Brees (4) and Peyton Manning (4). Remarkably, Mahomes has accomplished that feat three times in just four years as a starter.
2. Darrel Williams is barreling toward a career milestone.
It's been a career season for Williams, who racked up 107 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns against Cincinnati. The veteran tailback has a career-most eight scores this season and is now only 37 yards shy of 1,000 scrimmage yards for the year.
Williams – who has 541 rushing yards and 422 receiving yards this season – is one of only six players to tally 400+ receiving yards, 400+ rushing yards and 8+ touchdowns on the year. The only other players to record those numbers this season are Chargers' tailback Austin Ekeler, Falcons' tailback Cordarrelle Patterson, Buccaneers' tailback Leonard Fournette, Steelers' tailback Najee Harris and Saints' tailback Alvin Kamara.
3. The offense found the end zone on four consecutive drives in the first half.
Mahomes, Williams and the rest of the offense combined to find the end zone on four straight possessions during the first half. That scoring barrage included a 29-yard strike from Mahomes to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, a 3-yard connection between Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce and two touchdown rushes by Williams.
It was a great start that led to the Chiefs' fourth-straight game with 30+ points.
4. Bengals' wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had a tremendous game.
Cincinnati managed to stick around despite the Chiefs' hot start, however, and Chase was a big reason why. The rookie pass-catcher hauled in 11 grabs for 266 yards and three touchdowns in the game while accounting for more than half of Cincinnati's yardage total all by himself.
Chase tallied a pair of touchdowns in the first half that helped the Bengals keep pace with Kansas City before finding the end zone a third time early in the third quarter that pulled Cincinnati within four points.
5. Sunday's game was an example of how slim the margin for error can be in the NFL.
The margin for error is small in the NFL, particularly when the opponent is one of the top teams in the AFC. Kansas City did a lot of good things on Sunday, but the big plays – particularly to Chase – and penalties at crucial times in the game ultimately tilted the odds in favor of Cincinnati. The Bengals made plays when they needed to, and while the loss stings, it could be a valuable teaching moment for Kansas City as the postseason approaches.
