2024-09-23 11:25:02
The Kansas City Chiefs remained hot in Hotlanta vs. the Atlanta Falcons on “Sunday Night Football.”
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs escaped Arrowhead Stadium in Week 2 with a win over AFC rival Cincinnati. Mired in controversy, the Bengals committed a pass interference penalty to put the Chiefs in position to later boot the game-winning field goal through the uprights.
The same can be said of their win in Week 3: With time ticking down in the fourth quarter, Kansas City’s defense came through with a stop of Bijan Robinson on fourth-and-inches. That sealed the 22-17 win for the Chiefs, who move to 3-0 on the season.
Again, a pass interference call was at the center of the discussion: Some felt that Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was interfered with by Chiefs safety Bryan Cook in the end zone on a prior Falcons possession, but referees opted to swallow the whistle in that spot.
The Chiefs faced a tough opponent in the Falcons. After the Falcons were stifled in Week 1 by the Steelers, they bounced back with a last-minute win over the Eagles. Kirk Cousins didn’t look quite himself in the matchup, but he drove the Falcons down the field when they needed it most. He connected with Drake London for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo knocked through the extra point to take the lead.
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The Falcons put themselves in position to make it interesting yet again against another contender – but instead came up inches short.
USA TODAY Sports provided live updates, highlights and more from the Week 3 “Sunday Night Football” matchup between the Chiefs and Falcons below.
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Mahomes had to waste a bit of time while taking his final kneel-downs to clinch the Chiefs’ victory, but disaster almost struck when he appeared to awkwardly slide on one of them.
The good news: Mahomes remained in the game for his final knee and downplayed the slip after the game.
“The turf got me, man,” Mahomes said. “I was trying to take a knee and my foot got stuck. But I’m all good, I’m just glad we got the win.”
The Falcons gave the Chiefs everything they could handle despite being down two starting offensive linemen for the entire second-half, but both of Atlanta’s final two offensive possessions ended in turnovers on downs in the red zone. That allowed Kansas City to secure a 22-17 win.
The Chiefs leaned on Rashee Rice, who finished the game with a career-high 12 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown, in the passing game while Carson Steele led the team on the ground with Isiah Pacheco out. The undrafted rookie logged 72 yards on 17 carries.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce still don’t appear to be fully in sync to start the season, but the Chiefs are undefeated despite this. And any concern that Mahomes tweaked his ankle kneeling down at the end of regulation was quelled when the Chiefs quarterback said he was fine after the contest.
The Falcons ran the ball on fourth-and-inches but inexplicably decided not to go up the middle. They ran a slow-developing Bijan Robinson run off of left tackle, but linebacker Nick Bolton shot the gap and tackled him for a 3-yard loss.
The Chiefs can now run out the clock, as Atlanta has two timeouts remaining but just 51 seconds.
The Chiefs have already been called for three penalties on the Falcons’ drive: an illegal hands to the face call, a pass interference call and a horse-collar tackle call.
The pass interference call was questionable, at best, but the horse-collar tackle was legitimate. That puts the Falcons inside the 25-yard line and threatening to score.
The Chiefs had a third-and-2 on the drive after the turnover on downs but Mahomes didn’t appear to be on the same page as Worthy on the passing play. The rookie receiver cut his route short and while Mahomes thought he would continue across the field.
The Chiefs punted, giving the Falcons a chance to mount a go-ahead drive with 2:26 left in regulation.
Atlanta marched 83 yards on a 15-play drive but failed to get into the end-zone to retake the lead. Kirk Cousins converted a fourth-down earlier in the drive with a nice pass to Drake London, but his efforts to repeat that feat inside of the 10-yard line came up short.
The drive was not without controversy, as it appeared Kyle Pitts was interfered with by safety Bryan Cook on third-and-5 from the 6-yard line. The officials swallowed their whistles despite Cook failing to get his head around and having his arm around Pitts like he was his prom date.
Araiza saved the Chiefs from disaster after they went three-and-out to open the fourth quarter. Long snapper James Winchester sent the ball high to the punter, who made a great leaping play to come down with the ball.
Not only did Araiza prevent a safety, but he also punted the ball down to the Falcons’ 10-yard line. Atlanta will be backed up as it looks to mount a second consecutive fourth-quarter comeback.
Koo tied his career-long field goal make by drilling a 54-yarder to cut Kansas City’s lead to 22-17.
The Chiefs managed to stop the Falcons’ drive thanks to some exotic pressures dialed up be defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins continued to show good chemistry with wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who he hit for a 17-yard gain to get Atlanta into field goal range.
Bijan Robinson closed the third quarter by making his first catch of the day, a 17-yard screen that saw him make several nice cuts to get through the Kansas City defense and to the Atlanta 41-yard line.
The Chiefs took control of the game in the third quarter, taking their first lead and extending it to eight points. They are outgaining the Falcons 342-187 and have already won the time of possession battle for the game; Kansas City has held the ball for 30:58 through three quarters.
A play after Rashee Rice exited the field after taking a shot from A.J. Terrell, Smith-Schuster found himself replacing the team’s top receiver. He worked his way across the field from the slot and caught a quick pass from Mahomes. He ran it into the end zone with ease, barely being touched before scoring.
Harrison Butker missed the extra point, so the Chiefs’ lead over the Falcons is just 22-14. That will keep it a one-possession game.
Patrick Mahomes found Rice streaking across the middle of the field for a 27-yard gain on the Chiefs’ longest play of the night. That put Rice over 100 receiving yards for the game, as he has 11 catches for 113 yards and score with more than a quarter to go.
Cousins couldn’t find a receiver while facing a three-man pass rush and tried to scramble for a first down. Nose tackle Mike Pennel tripped him up just behind the line of scrimmage to sack the quarterback and force the Falcons to punt.
The Chiefs take their first lead of the game thanks to a chip-shot, 21-yard field goal from Harrison Butker.
Kansas City went 67 yards on its first drive of the second half and saw Travis Kelce make two catches for 27 yards after being limited to four yards on two catches in the first half. Patrick Mahomes made a concerted effort to get him the ball, so perhaps that will spark the veteran tight end after a slow start to the season.
Kansas City leads 16-14.
Atlanta is going to have to finish its Week 3 game shorthanded on the offensive line. Both McGary (knee) and Dalman (ankle) were ruled out for the rest of the game after suffering injuries in the first half.
Storm Norton replaced McGary at right tackle while Ryan Neuzil will snap to Kirk Cousins in Dalman’s stead.
The Chiefs didn’t have enough time to go for a legitimate touchdown drive on their final possession, so they settled for a 44-yard field goal. Harrison Butker made it with ease to cut Atlanta’s lead to one.
Both Patrick Mahomes and Kirk Cousins have exactly 128 yards in the first half, but they have earned that yardage in different ways. Mahomes has attempted 27 passes while Cousins has thrown just 11 times, so the Chiefs have been more methodical while the Falcons have been more explosive.
Kansas City held possession for 19:34 in the first half and ran 42 offensive plays compared to Atlanta’s 23. That could position the Chiefs to wear down the Falcons’ defense down the stretch, especially if Atlanta’s offense struggles to block in front of Cousins with center Drew Dalman and right tackle Kaleb McGary banged up.
Cousins, who is playing behind an offensive line currently missing two starters, was hit as he threw on the second play of Atlanta’s one-minute drill drive. Conner managed to get under the ball and intercept it. He then lateralled it to cornerback Jaylen Watson to get Kansas City into field goal range.
The Chiefs have 32 seconds to score before halftime.
Patrick Mahomes and Rashee Rice couldn’t connect on a third-and-5, as the quarterback’s pass was slightly behind the wide-out, who tipped it into the air. Jessie Bates nearly picked it off, but he couldn’t quite corral it.
The Chiefs punted the ball back to the Falcons, who got it on their own 30-yard line and have 59 seconds to score before the half.
Chiefs edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah got blind-side pressure on Cousins and forced the ball out of his hands. The ball bounced out of Cousins’ hands to the far sidelines, where Bijan Robinson illegally kicked it out of bounds.
That results in a 5-yard penalty and a loss of down, setting the Falcons up with a third-and-18 with 1:53 left in the first half.
The Falcons lost their right tackle, Kaleb McGary, to a knee injury on their second touchdown drive. He took a hit to his left knee while blocking and fell to the ground, grabbing at it.
The team has ruled McGary questionable to return after he received treatment in the medical tent. He did not return to the field for Atlanta’s next drive, which saw center Drew Dalman limp off the field after having his ankle rolled up.
For those wondering how the Kansas City backfield would shake out after Isiah Pacheco’s injury, it seems like it’s going to be an even split between Steele and Perine.
Steele has six carries for 26 yards thus far in the first half. Perine has six carries for 25 yards. The only surprise is that Steele has more catches (one for two yards) than Perine, who has been held without a catch.
The Falcons stopped Samaje Perine for a loss on a third-and-1 carry and rather than go for it on fourth-and-2, Andy Reid decides to attempt a field goal.
Butker makes the 53-yard kick with ease to cut Atlanta’s lead to 14-10.
Pitts makes one of his first big plays of the season, as he catches a lofted pass from Kirk Cousins and runs it down to the 1-yard line. After Pitts’ 50-yard play, the Falcons ran the ball up the middle with Bijan Robinson. He bulled through the line to give the Falcons the lead back
Pitts had just 46 total receiving yards in the first two weeks of the season, combined.
The Falcons lead the Chiefs 14-7 midway through the second.
The Falcons got a late shot in on Patrick Mahomes. Chris Jones returned the favor on the next drive, flinging Cousins down after the quarterback had already released a deep shot to Drake London.
The pass fell incomplete, but Jones was whistled for a 15-yard penalty. That keeps the Falcons’ drive alive.
Rice is off to a fast start in the first half against the Falcons. He has racked up five catches, 54 yards and a touchdown on a team-high six targets.
Rice is continuing to establish himself as the No. 1 target for the Chiefs ahead of Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy.
Mahomes finds Rice wide open coming across the middle of the field and got it into his top receiver’s hands. Rice ran it the rest of the way into the end-zone to give the Chiefs their first points of the game.
The Chiefs tacked on a Harrison Butker extra point to tie things at 7-7. They will now kick off from the 50-yard line after the Falcons were whistled for a roughing the passer foul on the scoring play.
The Falcons earned one first-down after Justin Simmons’ interception of Patrick Mahomes, but they stalled out after that. Bradley Pinion punted it back to Kansas City, and the Chiefs will start their second drive from their own 20-yard line. The punt ended the first quarter.
The Falcons lead the Chiefs 7-0 at the end of one.
Mahomes tried to hit tight end Noah Gray in the end zone on a second-and-8, but safety Justin Simmons undercut the rout. He got both hands on the ball and went down in the end-zone, earning a touchback and setting the Falcons up at the 20-yard line.
Atlanta will look to build on its 7-0 lead after Kansas City’s 17-play drive ended without points.
Simmons has now intercepted Mahomes in each of their last four matchups dating back to Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season.
The Chiefs RB, who was injured in the Chiefs’ Week 2 matchup vs. the Bengals, underwent surgery this week to repair his fractured leg. An MRI also revealed ligament damage to his ankle. A plate and screws were inserted as part of the surgery.
The hope is that Pacheco can return to the field in 6-to-8 weeks.
The Chiefs opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 from Atlanta’s 39-yard line. Patrick Mahomes handed the ball to Rice on a wide receiver sweep play and the second-year wide-out got just enough to move the chains on a 1-yard carry.
The Falcons challenged the ruling on the field, but it was upheld. That kept Kansas City’s first drive of the game alive.
The Falcons’ new quarterback signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the team on March 11 of this year. It included a $50 million signing bonus and $100 million guaranteed.
Cousins’ contract’s average annual value of $45 million puts him in a tie with the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes for the 12th highest-paid quarterback in the NFL this year by AAV.
Cousins started the game by completing 5 of 5 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. That gave him a perfect passer rating of 158.3 on the first drive and continued the great form he showed during his game-winning drive that ended the Falcons vs. Eagles game on “Monday Night Football” last week.
Cousins was especially sharp on play action, completing 3 of 3 passes for 37 yards. He has long been one of the NFL’s best passers off play fakes; that is continuing in Atlanta.
Cousins and the Falcons marched 70 yards on the Chiefs with ease. The drive culminated in a 14-yard strike from Cousins to London on a play where Kansas City’s defense simply lost track of London.
The extra point is good, and the Falcons lead 7-0.
The game will air on NBC and Peacock. The game is also available to stream on Fubo.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) will be on the call, with Melissa Stark adding reports from the field for NBC.
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the “Sunday Night Football” matchup will shake out:
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The NFL’s top 18 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the league’s highest-paid player on Sunday morning, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million deal. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the first non-quarterback on the highest-paid list after striking a four-year, $140 million contract extension this offseason.
Kansas City is favored to start the season with a win, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
Odds as of Friday
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Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates isn’t opposed to talking trash to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce about his famous pop star girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
Bates was a guest on ‘The Pacman Jones Show‘ podcast on Friday, and the two-time NFL All-Pro said Taylor Swift smack talk isn’t out of bounds.
“I don’t listen to much Taylor Swift, but obviously you got to have respect for what she’s done in her career. And then with Travis [Kelce], you got to have some type of respect with him,” Bates said with a smile. “But once that clock ticks and we’re in between those lines. I see red sometimes and might say some crazy stuff to him, it may involve Taylor, in may not. It’s just part of the game, talking your little smack.”
The Chiefs now have three healthy running backs on their 53-man roster after Pacheco’s injury. They are:
Perine is an eight-year veteran whom the Chiefs signed before the season after his release from the Denver Broncos. Perine has developed into a quality third-down back, so he figures to see plenty of action in pass-catching situations and as a do-it-all threat out of the backfield.
The Chiefs brought veteran running back Kareem Hunt in for a visit on Tuesday. Evidently, they liked what they saw, as Kansas City signed the 29-year-old Hunt to its practice squad.
Kansas City originally selected Hunt in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, and he led the NFL in rushing yards during his rookie season with 1,327. It looked like he was going to be a star for the Chiefs, but he was released during the 2018 season after a video of him throwing a woman to the ground and kicking her emerged.
The Falcons are opening the roof for their Week 3 game against the Chiefs. It’s easy to understand why, as it’s going to be a beautiful night in Atlanta, with a high of 86 degrees at kickoff and a low of 77 at midnight.
Winds will max out at 5 mph while chances of precipitation are at less than 1 percent for the game, according to the Weather Channel.
Kirk Cousins’ primetime record entering “Sunday Night Football” is 13-20 overall.
Cousins helped course correct the narrative surrounding him a bit with a big, last-minute win over the Eagles in Week 2
The last time we saw Cousins play on “Sunday Night Football” was in Week 8 of the 2021 season, which ended in a loss to the Cowboys.
The No. 1 team on NBC’s Sunday night football will stay intact, at least for the foreseeable future.
According to a report from The Athletic, NBC Sports is close to securing a new four-year contract extension with top analyst Cris Collinsworth. The extension will keep him with the network through the 2029-30 season. His current contract runs through the 2026 season.
NBC is scheduled to broadcast two more Super Bowls in the next six years, including Super Bowl 60 in 2026 and Super Bowl 64 in 2030.
Collinsworth, 65, who has won seven Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Studio Analyst, makes about $12.5 million a year and has teamed up with Mike Tirico to call games.
There are no surprises on the Chiefs side of the inactive list heading into “Sunday Night Football.”
After practicing with injury designation earlier in the week, running back Tyler Allgeier practiced fully on Friday and with no injury designation, and will be active tonight.
Here’s the list of inactives for tonight’s game:
The Chiefs can take sole possession of first place in the AFC West if they can beat the Falcons in Week 3. The Chargers lost their Week 3 matchup against the Steelers after starting the season 2-0 while the Raiders and Broncos now both have two losses.
Chiefs 2-0
Chargers 2-1
Raiders 1-2
Broncos 1-2
With a win, Atlanta can create a three-way tie atop the division. The Saints and Buccaneers both lost after 2-0 starts to the season, so the Falcons could create chaos in the South with an upset over the Chiefs.
Saints 2-1
Buccaneers 2-1
Falcons 1-1
Panthers 1-2
The likelihood of Taylor Swift attending the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce is looking good.
The singer is on a two-month break from her Eras Tour and doesn’t have a performance until Oct. 18 in Miami. – Bryan West
With running back Isiah Pacheco sidelined for the foreseeable future with a leg injury, some Chiefs players are wearing shirts honoring their injured teammate.
Mahomes recently celebrated his birthday. He was born on Sept. 17, 1995. Sunday’s game will be his first since turning 29, so he will look to usher in the final year of his 20s with a victory.
Samuel L. Jackson has only two words for those tuning into the “Sunday Night Football” matchup, and they’re not the ones you’re accustomed to hearing from him:
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