You can't claim the Kansas City Chiefs aren't interesting to watch.
In a season in which they're already going for a historic three-peat—yes, that's three consecutive Super Bowl victories—the Chiefs have rolled up as 12-1 record against a tough schedule while dealing with season-ending injuries (or major ones) to so many of their top offensive weapons and key defensive contributors. They've also figured out how to keep every game close in an effort to give fans a heart attack every seven days.
Apparently that's even true when the visiting Los Angeles Chargers are on the ropes and everyone is waiting on what looks like a very predictable finish for a short field goal.
Leave it to the Chiefs to keep things that interesting for another close win.
In case you missed it, the Chargers had the lead over the Chiefs 17-16 in the fourth quarter when they handed the ball back to Patrick Mahomes and the offense with less than five minutes left. From there, the Chiefs were able to put together a nice methodical drive that converted key third downs and allowed the Chiefs to milk the clock.
The Chargers tried their best to stop the clock, but the Chiefs had the ball around the 10-yard line with the Chargers out of timeouts. From there, Andy Reid decided to simply have Mahomes kneel the ball twice and then give it to Matthew Wright, the team's third-string kicker, to win the game on a chip shot of a field goal.
Wright had already made three previous field goals from much longer distances in this game alone, so the game-winning attempt against the Chargers didn't feel all that risky. But then this happened..
That’s WRIGHT, Chiefs win!
— Sports Radio 810 WHB (@SportsRadio810) December 9, 2024
pic.twitter.com/eDqLBLUzu9
Yep, that's Wright hitting the ball off of the upright and in for what Mike Tirico immediately called the "Doink for the Division!" Just like that, the Chiefs win 19-17.
From a blocked field goal by Leo Chenal against the Raiders to a toe being out of bounds for Isaiah Likely in Week 1, this has been a crazy season filled with close victories no matter the opponent. Close or not, dramatic or otherwise, tell that to the two-game lead the Chiefs now enjoy in the AFC and the AFC West title that now belongs to Kansas City.