KANSAS CITY — Harrison Butker converted a 51-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Kansas City Chiefs past the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 26-25 on Sunday.
Patrick Mahomes completed 18 of 25 passes for just 151 yards. He tossed two touchdowns, including a 44-yarder to Rashee Rice, but added two interceptions.
With his team down two, Mahomes received one final chance after rookie safety Daijahn Anthony was called for pass interference with 38 seconds remaining as the Chiefs faced fourth-and-16 from their own 35.
Joe Burrow was 23-of-36 for 258 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to Andrei Iosivas.
The game was another installment of one of the NFL’s most riveting rivalries of the last four years. Burrow is 3-2 lifetime against Mahomes.
Burrow started the game completing his first six targets to tight ends for 93 yards, three of which went to Drew Sample and another two to rookie Erick All.
After a 33-yard Evan McPherson field goal made it 13-10 in the second quarter, Cincinnati’s Sheldon Rankins punched the ball loose from running back Carson Steele at midfield and Germaine Pratt recovered. The Bengals converted with McPherson’s third field goal of the day, a 48-yarder.
Trey Hendrickson, who beat rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia for two sacks, provided a key spark to the defense with a sack of Patrick Mahomes on Kansas City’s final drive before the half.
The Chiefs drove 70 yards on the opening possession of the second half and took their first lead of the game, 17-16, on a 1-yard tackle-eligible pass to Wanya Morris.
Burrow answered with a long drive of his own, capped with a fourth-down touchdown pass of 4 yards to Iosivas. The extra point was missed and the Bengals led, 22-17.
Cam Taylor-Britt, burned on the 44-yard TD pass to Rice, redeemed himself with a spectacular one-handed grab of a Mahomes pass intended for Xavier Worthy.
Burrow was taken down on a scramble the next time the Bengals had the ball, and cornerback Chamarri Conner scooped up his fumble and ran 38 yards for the go-ahead score and a 23-22 Chiefs lead.
Ja’Marr Chase nearly cost the Bengals dearly on the next drive, as he was hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty after being taken to the ground hard by corner Trent McDuffie.
Burrow came over to try and settle him down but not before the flag came out. Still, McPherson connected on his fourth field goal of the day, from 53 yards with 9:28 left in the fourth quarter.
The Bengals lost defensive tackle B.J. Hill to a left hamstring injury midway through the second quarter.
–Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media