Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdown passes and Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal on the game’s final play as the Kansas City Chiefs topped the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday afternoon at Charlotte.
It was a bounce-back effort for the Chiefs (10-1), who lost for the first time this season a week earlier against the Buffalo Bills. Kansas City never trailed yet had to use a 57-yard drive to move into scoring position to close the game.
Mahomes was 27 of 37 for 269 yards, tight end Noah Gray caught two touchdown passes and Shrader kicked two field goals.
Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard ran 1 yard for a touchdown with 1:46 remaining and tacked on a two-point conversion run to knot the score at 27-all. It was the second try on the conversion after a defensive pass penalty on an incomplete throw.
Bryce Young threw for 263 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (3-8), who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Eddy Pineiro kicked field goals from 30, 32, 29 and 33 yards.
Carolina tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders was carted off the field just before halftime and was hospitalized with a neck injury. Sanders had movement in all extremities, according to head coach Dave Canales.
Both teams scored touchdowns on their first possessions of the second half.
Carolina used 15 plays and more than 8 1/2 minutes, resulting in Young’s 1-yard TD pass to David Moore. Kansas City pushed its edge to 27-16 on a 75-yard march in 10 plays with DeAndre Hopkins grabbing Mahomes’ 3-yard pass.
The Chiefs seemed in a hurry to wipe away the disappointment from the previous week. Samaje Perine returned the opening kickoff 56 yards into Carolina territory and on the third snap, Mahomes connected with Gray for a 35-yard touchdown.
The next four scoring plays were field goals – two for each team.
The Chiefs then drove 92 yards in 14 plays to score on Gray’s 11-yard reception, pushing their lead to 20-6 with 44 seconds left in the first half. Kansas City scored on all four of its first-half possessions.
The Panthers weren’t finished, moving to the Kansas City 11 before settling for their third field goal on the last play of the half.
