Monday Night Football Between the Buccaneers and Chiefs
Mahomes, the Chiefs’ brand continues to win. The highly explosive Kansas City offense that terrified the rest of the Readypost is no longer there; instead, it has replaced it with an offensive strategy that is exceedingly difficult to stop. With the help of Patrick Mahomes and his skill, Kansas City was able to convert 12 out of 18 third-down attempts on Monday night. Mahomes’s 14 connections with Travis Kelce (for 100 yards) and his 7-yard flip to Samaje Perine (for a touchdown) were both excellent examples of how he manages to thrive in the face of turmoil. On the Perine TD, Mahomes injured his ankle, but he managed to keep the train going, albeit slowly. However, the speed was actually a benefit and didn’t matter. With their deliberate, grinding, run-heavy scoring drive that consumed 8:26 of the game clock and culminated in a 4-yard slant to DeAndre Hopkins for the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs offered a relatively fresh twist on Monday night.
Everyone at Arrowhead Stadium and in the national viewing public understood what was going to happen when they took possession in overtime: Another methodical, steady drive based on accurate short-to-intermediate passing and tough carries by Kareem Hunt. Hunt’s muscular 2-yard touchdown run to put the Chiefs ahead 8-0 and a deft toss to Kelce inside Tampa Bay’s 5-yard line were the appropriate last two plays. The Chiefs have demonstrated over the course of nine weeks that they will prevail and challenge any opponent to stop them, even if it isn’t spectacular or explosive.
The Buccaneers adjust following offensive defeats. With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans down, Tampa Bay knew going into Week 9 that it needed to alter its strategy to give itself the greatest chance of winning. Enter tight end Cade Otton, the de facto WR1 who went crazy a week ago and then stacked a number of spectacular receptions to keep this offense rolling. Baker Mayfield managed to keep the offense alive by relying primarily on Otton, a multi-headed rushing approach, and a more lateral passing attack that saw them thread together two touchdown drives in the second and third quarters, even though the Bucs’ verticality essentially vanished.
The Buccaneers adjust following offensive defeats. With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans down, Tampa Bay knew going into Week 9 that it needed to alter its strategy to give itself the greatest chance of winning. Enter tight end Cade Otton, the de facto WR1 who went crazy a week ago and then stacked a number of spectacular receptions to keep this offense rolling. Baker Mayfield managed to keep the offense alive by relying primarily on Otton, a multi-headed rushing approach, and a more lateral passing attack that saw them thread together two touchdown drives in the second and third quarters, even though the Bucs’ verticality essentially vanished.
Monday Night Football Between the Buccaneers and Chiefs
D-Hop establishes himself. After joining the Chiefs just over a week ago, DeAndre Hopkins made a modest debut, hauling in two passes for 29 yards. On Monday night, such was not the case. They had their first touchdown of the evening as Hopkins caught another throw from one yard out after a challenging 35-yard grab that was hauled in between two defenders. Hopkins collected eight passes for 86 yards. In a cast that sorely needed a genuine receiving option, Kansas City felt the veteran would give Mahomes one when they acquired him. Against the Buccaneers, he accomplished this, providing Mahomes with a target that was absent from the wide receiving group. It seemed certain that he would score his second goal, a 5-yard grab that was caught on a hard slant along the goal line.
Think of this transaction as a success already.
Bowles’ defense exhausts itself. Todd Bowles, the head coach of Tampa Bay, is renowned for using forceful blitzes to disrupt opposing offenses, but he hardly had time to unleash his rushers on Monday night. The Buccaneers only blitzed five times and had a pressure rate below 25 percent because the ground game kept them honest and Mahomes’ inventiveness made it difficult. Instead, they tried to play coverage and hoped their base rushes would make it home. Although it was a low-scoring match, Bowles’ team was truly indicted when Mahomes and Co. imposed their will on the Buccaneers’ defense over 15 plays in the fourth quarter as they went on a slow and steady scoring run. The Buccaneers looked worn out by the time the Chiefs entered Tampa Bay’s red zone. Andy Reid’s boa constrictor strategy was almost flawless, and when the Bucs forced OT, it was no surprise to everyone that Reid used the same strategy to wear down the Bucs’ defense with a 10-play, 70-yard march. After everything was said and done, it became evident that the reigning champs had won the war of attrition against the Buccaneers.
The difficult night is survived by Spagnuolo’s defense. Although Mahomes may garner the most attention, Spagnuolo’s team played a significant role in the Chiefs’ resounding victory the previous season.
