MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two third-quarter touchdown passes, one to Travis Kelce after the All-Pro tight end briefly left the game with an ankle injury, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings 27 on Sunday. 20.
Mahomes went 31 of 41 for 281 yards and no turnovers in his most efficient performance of the season for the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (4-1), who won again, albeit not at their best.
Kirk Cousins scored against Jordan Addison and Alexander Mattison for the Vikings (1-4). They had two chances to tie the game in the final five minutes, but a late hamstring injury to star receiver Justin Jefferson and a lack of timeouts due to previous poor game management ultimately proved too much to overcome.
Bruce Kluckhohn/AP
Jefferson slipped on the turf while trying to cut his route on a third-down pass deep in Kansas City territory. He grabbed his right leg and slowly limped toward the sideline.
Mahomes hit Justin Watson with a 33-yard throw on third-and-18 from his 17 to extend the Chiefs’ first possession of the second half. The two-time MVP capped that drive with a game-tying 8-yard throw to Rushy Rice.
All four of Minnesota’s losses this year have come by eight points or less after a record 11 wins in 11 one-goal games in 2022. recovered at Minnesota 45. Isaiah Pacheco’s touchdown ended the game and gave Kansas City the lead.
MARK THIS SHELF
The win gave Mahomes at least one game against every other team in the league. The Vikings were the only team he never beat in his six years as a Kansas City starter. It was the first time he had ever faced a team that played in the city where his father, Pat Mahomes, played for the Minnesota Twins.
INJURY REPORT
Chiefs: Kelce fell awkwardly to the turf after a pass in the second quarter and went for an X-ray. He watched the first possession after halftime from the sideline and returned for the next. … LB Nick Bolton (ankle) left the game for the third straight game and was replaced in the middle of the defense by Drew Tranquill.
Vikings: CB Akaileb Evans (knee) limped in the third quarter. … QB Nick Mullens (back) was inactive, elevating rookie Jaren Hall to the backup spot for Cousins.
NEXT
Chiefs: Host Denver on Thursday night.
Vikings: Visit Chicago next Sunday.