Butker’s late FG sends Chiefs to win
K.C. escapes errors to rally past Giants
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes lamented two more turnovers and coach Andy Reid a multitude of penalties. Just about everyone who stepped out of the Kansas City Chiefs locker room vowed to turn around what’s been a disappointing season.
It almost sounded as if they’d lost to the New York Giants on Monday night.
Instead, the scuffling Chiefs rallied behind two fourth-quarter field goals from Harrison Butker, including the go-ahead 34-yarder with 1:07 left, for a 20-17 victory to even their record after eight games.
“Listen, everything is not beautiful right now, but we’re fighting through it,” Reid said. “Our guys battled. They didn’t give up on each other. They kept working at a time you could have just thrown your hands up and say, ‘Man, things are just not working the way they’re supposed to work.’ So we’ll build on that. Let’s keep going.”
Mahomes passed for 275 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Chiefs, who along with two turnovers committed 12 penalties for 103 yards. Tyreek Hill had 12 catches for 94 yards and a score and Mecole Hardman added five catches for 63 yards, including a 24-yard catch-and-run on the final drive that set Butker up for the decisive field goal.
“The guys are battling and trying to find ways to win,” Mahomes said, “and tonight we did.”
Daniel Jones had 222 yards passing
with two touchdowns and an interception for the Giants (2-6), but he also was sacked three times, including twice after the Chiefs kicked off with just over a minute left.
“We have to eliminate the mistakes we made down the stretch,” Giants coach
Joe Judge said. “We can’t allow a team like this to have extra opportunities. We can’t rob ourselves a chance to have opportunities of our own.”
Without running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver Kenny Golladay, both still sidelined with injuries, Jones was
able to lean on Devontae Booker and his backup receivers to march 85 yards for an early touchdown — most of it coming when John Ross III beat safety Daniel Sorensen for a 50-yard catch that rendered his pass interference penalty moot.
The Giants, who host the Raiders on Sunday at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, added an 86-yard drive later in the first half that produced a field goal. And early in the fourth quarter, Evan Engram beat Sorensen to the pylon for a touchdown catch that gave the Giants a 17-14 lead.