With Patrick Mahomes’ return looming, Chiefs rally to beat Vikings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs might eventually look back at Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings as the one that allowed them to reach all of their goals.
From this vantage point, their 26-23 victory looks like it saved their season. They picked up a much-needed win on Harrison Butker’s 44-yard field goal as time expired, raising their record to 6-3 just as it appears the Chiefs will get reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes back in their lineup for next week’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
With a loss, the Chiefs’ chances of holding on to their AFC West lead and making the playoffs didn’t look good. Now, with Mahomes perhaps returning next week, the situation looks much brighter.
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Buy a breakout performance: Damien Williams looks like he’s regained the featured back spot that LeSean McCoy had locked up earlier in the season. His 91-yard touchdown run in the third quarter provided a big lift for an offense that needed a pick-me-up at the time.
Bold prediction for next week: Mahomes will return to the starting lineup for the game against the Titans. While that will no doubt provide a boost to a struggling team, it won’t fix everything. The Chiefs lost each of the last two games he both started and finished. The Chiefs will need to play better defensively against the Titans, who are struggling to score points themselves.
Pivotal play: The Chiefs have struggled for big running plays most of the season but got one from Williams at a crucial juncture. His 91-yard touchdown run put the Chiefs ahead and tied Jamaal Charles’ seven-year-old team record for longest TD run.