Mahomes bests Brady as Chiefs top Buccaneers
TAMPA, Fla. – It was too easy. Or at least that’s how it felt as Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and the Chiefs ravaged the Buccaneers for a 27-24 victory Sunday.
The Week 12 matchup at Raymond James Stadium was supposed to be a potential Super Bowl preview, according to preseason projections.
The meeting featured Mahomes, the darling of the league, and his defending champion supporting cast against Tom Brady, the most decorated quarterback in league history, and his talented new compadres.
But instead of engaging their hosts in a hotly contested shootout, the Chiefs instead put on a clinic on cohesion, chemistry and pristine execution. Mahomes and his offense seemingly moved the ball at will. The quarterback passed for 462 yards and three touchdowns while completing more than 75% of his passes. And Hill was virtually unstoppable, catching 13 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns.
The Bucs, meanwhile, again were reminded that a championship-caliber attack takes time and they have a ways to go before they can contend with the likes of Kansas City.
The Chiefs improved to 10-1. Tampa Bay dropped to 7-5 after losing their second straight and third in four games. Three things we learned in the game: 1. The Chiefs are a well-oiled machine: They continue to reap the benefits of continuity, chemistry and cohesion. The way that Mahomes is able to see and execute the game plan through the eyes of coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy enables Kansas City to continually build on previous successes. The Chiefs have their staple plays, but they’re always adding to them or expanding upon them.
2. The Bucs are still tinkering: Tampa Bay has found cohesion and consistency hard to come by. It actually seems like things are getting worse for Brady and Co., as the quarterback had yet another multiple-interception game (his third in the last four outings), and third downs proved troublesome for a unit that converted just three of nine tries.
3. Defensive adjustments needed: You can’t pin all of the blame on Tampa Bay’s offense. The Buccaneers’ defense also was found wanting after giving up a season-high 543 yards and letting Mahomes and Hill torment them so. It took Hill’s 203-yard, two-touchdown first quarter for defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to make adjustments to limit the speedy receiver’s production. But it was only temporary. The Bucs struggled to get pressure on Mahomes and surrendered far too many big plays.