The Kansas City Chiefs and L.A. Rams served up the most exciting game in years for NFL fans on Monday night.
It’s hard to believe, but the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams more than lived up to the hype in their showdown on Monday Night Football in Week 11. The instant classic featured a final score of 54-51 in the Rams win, but both teams showed why they will likely be playing well into the postseason on this exciting night of football.
The game was originally set to take place in Mexico City, but after the NFL determined the field conditions were too poor to play the game, the contest was moved to the L.A. Coliseum.
The Rams got off to a hot start at home, and the Chiefs were down 13 points early, with the defense looking as they have all year—like they could not stop a nosebleed. The penalties piled up in the first half as the officiating crew threw one flag after another—10 times against the Chiefs in the first half alone.
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The Chiefs finally got points on the board when Patrick Mahomes drove Kansas City down the field on a 75-yard drive that took four plays and two minutes, ending in Mahomes finding the explosive Tyreek Hill for a 25-yard score. That made the score 13-7. The Rams and Chiefs exchanged field goals to start the second quarter. Both teams got the ball inside the 10-yard line before having to settle for three.
At 16-10, Mahomes dumped a screen pass off to Kareem Hunt who took it 21 yards and hit paydirt to give the Chiefs their first lead of the night, 17-16. After the Chiefs defense forced the Rams to punt…yes, the Rams have a punter, folks, Aaron Donald got a strip sack that ended with Samson Ebukam scooping the ball up and rumbling the 11 yards for the score. Rams lead 23-17.
To end the half, Mahomes went on a nice 7-play, 69-yard drive shaving off only 1:37 from the clock capped by Chris Conley‘s touchdown catch. Harrison Butker missed the point after attempt making the score 23-23 heading into the break.
The Chiefs received the second half kickoff but another Aaron Donald strip-sack gave the Rams all of the momentum. After converting a play-action pass on fourth and one, the Rams had the ball inside the 10 yet again. On third and goal, Goff evaded pressure when he stepped up in the pocket and ran it in from seven yards out. That gave the Rams a 30-23 lead and left the Chiefs needing a score to try to salvage the game.
Mahomes stayed composed. After getting hit in the mouth, literally, with two strip-sack fumbles, Mahomes led the Chiefs on an eight-play sixty four-yard touchdown drive and hit Kelce on a beautiful pick route to tie the game up at 30. After converting a third and 11, the Rams finished the drive inside the red zone and had to settle for a field goal. A surprising win for the Chiefs defensive unit but the Rams still led 33-30.
Unfortunately, Mahomes threw a pick-six to Rams front seven-member Samson Ebukam who rumbled in again for his second touchdown, from 25-yards out giving the Rams a commanding 10 point lead with under two minutes left in the third quarter.
Mahomes got the ball back down 40-30 and went on a three play, 91-yard drive that ended with the speedy Tyreek Hill catching a beautiful 73-yard touchdown pass. The Chiefs defense answered with a strip-sack of their own on Jared Goff, as Allen Bailey ran the ball in two yards for the score and the lead, 44-40.
The life was quickly back into the Rams faithful when the team answered with a huge response. Goff, like Mahomes, stayed composed and led the explosive Rams offense on a six-play, 75-yard drive capped by a Gerald Everett touchdown to put the Rams back on top, 47-44. The Chiefs answered minutes later with a pick route that set up Chris Conley to grab his second touchdown of the game, and the Chiefs were up 51-47.
With under three minutes left and no timeouts, the Rams had to put together a nice drive to win the game. However, Chiefs cornerback Orlando Scandrick dropped a certain pick on second and nine and the Rams took advantage. The drive ended as Everett caught another touchdown pass to put the Rams up, 54-51.
Near game’s end, the Chiefs had a couple chances to make something happen with very little on the clock, but dropped passes by Travis Kelce didn’t help and a tired team couldn’t put it together with so little time. A final interception throw by Mahomes iced the game and the Rams left the field at L.A. Coliseum as big winners. The final result was the highest scoring Monday Night Football game of all time.
Up next for both these teams is the holiday. Both the Rams and Chiefs enter their bye week following this contest. After the bye week is over, the Chiefs will travel to Oakland to take on the Raiders, while the Rams will go to Detroit to face off against the Lions.