Chiefs improve to 3-0 with another nailbiter, more proof they simply know how to win close games

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have opened the season with three straight games that came down to the final minute.

Two of them came down to the final play.

They could easily be winless in the defense of their latest Super Bowl title. But their uncanny knack for winning games that come down to the wire — thanks to the ingenuity of Andy Reid on the sideline, Patrick Mahomes under center, or a combination of factors — instead has allowed them to start 3-0 and seize control of the AFC West once again.

“Listen, I don't think you get used to it,” Reid mused Monday, less than 24 hours after Nick Bolton's stop of Falcons running back Bijan Robinson on fourth down with 56 seconds left Sunday night preserved the Chiefs' 22-17 victory in Atlanta.

“You don't want it to come down to that. You're trying to score as many points as you can. But that's how things go,” Reid said. “The trust that the guys have in each other — I know that's easy to say, but when you actually have that, the guys know that something good is going to happen. That becomes very important.”

Especially when the games start to really matter.

The Chiefs were just 4-4 in games decided by a touchdown or less during the 2023 regular season, but they were 3-0 when their three playoff games were decided by that margin. That included the 25-22 overtime win over San Francisco that gave the Chiefs their second straight Lombardi Trophy, and the chance to win an unprecedented third straight this year.

For that matter, each of the Chiefs' three playoff wins the previous year also were decided by a touchdown or less. That included the 38-35 victory over the Eagles that gave Reid and Mahomes their second Super Bowl rings.

“We haven't played good. I mean, really, all three games," Mahomes said after the win over the Falcons on Sunday night. “We've been able to win. That speaks to the character of the team, the grit, how we've been in these situations before.”

What’s working

The Chiefs have been able to shut down opposing run games. The Ravens' Derrick Henry had 46 yards on 13 carries, Zack Moss of the Bengals ran 12 times for 34 yards, and Robinson carried 16 times for 31 yards on Sunday.

“I started naming off the guys but it's really all of them, collectively. That whole front seven is doing a nice job,” Reid said. “The safeties, too, were being accurate with our tackles there, and physical, which has been good.”

What needs work

The Chiefs have struggled to cover tight ends through their first three games, and it was Kyle Pitts hurting them Sunday night. He had a 50-yard catch to set up the Falcons' opening touchdown and finished with two grabs for 59 yards.

Stock up

Rashee Rice has become the go-to option for Mahomes in the way that Travis Kelce has been for many years. He had 12 catches for 110 yards and a score against Atlanta, giving him 24 catches for 288 yards and two TDs through the first three games.

Stock down

Kelce had another drop against the Falcons, finishing with four catches for 30 yards. He has just eight catches for 69 yards on the season, though the attention defenses are paying him has helped Rice and others to get open in the passing game.

“They're working hard at taking Kelce out of the picture,” Reid said, “and Kelce is going, ‘Hey, listen, if they’re going to do that then Rashee is going to get a lot of catches.' Somewhere that levels off.”

Injuries

The Chiefs came out of the game against Atlanta with no significant injuries.

Key number

131 — That's the number of wins for Reid in Kansas City, surpassing his total from his days in Philadelphia. He only needed 182 games to reach that total with the Chiefs; it took him 224 games to reach 130 wins with the Eagles.

Next steps

The Chiefs play the first of their two games against the Chargers on Sunday in Los Angeles. Kansas City has won the past five games and eight of the past 10 between the long-time AFC West rivals.

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Dave Skretta, The Associated Press