The Kansas City Chiefs now have an early inside track at the No. 1 seed in the AFC after Andy Reid's team was able to fend off a second-half rally by the Miami Dolphins to earn a 21-14 win at Frankfurt Stadium in Germany.
As this game kicked off, it looked like the international crowd was going to enjoy a high-flying affair between two of the conference's powerhouse clubs. However, things did slow down after Kansas City's opening 75-yard touchdown drive as the two sides were scoreless for a large chunk of the first half. The Chiefs did get back on the scoreboard before the break, however, thanks to a 95-yard touchdown drive led by Patrick Mahomes and then arguably the top defensive play of the season. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed a short pass to Tyreek Hill, but corner Trent McDuffie then knocked the ball out of Hill's hands, which was recovered by Mike Edwards. He then lateraled it back to Bryan Cook and the safety ran it 59-yards for the touchdown to go up 21-0 at halftime.
Miami did thrust itself back in this game with a 14-point third quarter to cut the lead to one score and had an opportunity to tie the game in the closing him. However, three straight incompletions from the Chiefs' 31-yard line and then a botched snap on fourth down with under a minute left in regulation sealed the Dolphins' fate and pushed them down to 6-3 on the season.
Mahomes finished the game 20 of 30 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Tagovailoa was 21 of 34 passing for 193 yards and one touchdown.
For more on how this game unfolded, check out our takeaways below.
The Chiefs defense was the star of this international game. Not only was it able to put points on the board, but it also clamped down on the Dolphins when it started to look like they'd mount a full comeback and tie the game. The Chiefs forced a punt after a clutch 11-yard sack by defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton late in the fourth quarter and were particularly blanketing Tyreek Hill late to help secure the win.
Kansas City's unit also got off the field on third down with relative ease and didn't allow the Dolphins pass catchers to truly gash it on the deep ball at any point in this winning effort. In fact, the first third-down conversion by Miami came at the 6:40 mark of the third quarter. Offensively, Mahomes was able to move the ball around efficiently and did seem to ease some concerns of the Chiefs being unable to win a game when a team centers its focus on taking away Travis Kelce. In a game where the tight end was held to just three catches for 14 yards. Mahomes found other ways to move the football, including to Rashee Rice. The rookie had two clutch receptions in the win, one being an opening-drive touchdown grab.
Miami couldn't get into a rhythm offensively as penalties and poor execution -- highlighted by the running game -- put them in a number of third-and-long situations, specifically in the first half. The Dolphins were unable to convert any of their five third-down opportunities in the first half, which ultimately was the key factor in them being shut out over the first two quarter and going down by three scores. For the game, the Dolphins were 3 for 12 on third down and 0 for 1 on fourth down. That inability to move the football was also taxing on the defense, but the unit did keep them in it with a few forced punts of their own. As they looked to tie the game in the fourth quarter, negative plays by the offense and an inability to push the ball down the field ultimately proved to be Miami's demise.
Kansas City's defense stepped up in a big way over the final two offensive possession by Miami. After getting the ball as far as the Chiefs' 38-yard line, Steve Spagnuolo's defense recorded back-to-back negative plays, including an 11-yard sack of Tagovailoa to create a third-and-27 situation that the Dolphins ultimately failed to covert and booted them out of field goal range.
Then, as Miami again got deep into Chiefs territory to try and force overtime, the unit forced three-straight incomplete passes by Tagovailoa. That set up a fourth-and-10 from the K.C. 31-yard line, which the Dolphins botched the snap and Tagovailoa was taken down to create the turnover on downs and end the game.
This is not only the play of the game, but there will be a case for this to be the defensive play of the season. In the closing minute of the first half, Tagovailoa completed a pass to Tyreek Hill, who was met immediately behind the line of scrimmage by Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie, who just so happens to be the player K.C. drafted with the pick it acquired when trading the star receiver.
McDuffie stripped the ball out of Hill's hands, the ball was initially recovered by Mike Edwards, who lateraled it to fellow Chiefs defender Bryan Cook, who rank it back 59-yard for the touchdown. Cook reached a top speed of 21.31 mph on the return which is the fastest play by a Chiefs ball carrier this season, according to Next Gen Stats.
With this game coming down to one score, that turnover did prove to be the difference in the win for Kansas City.
From here, both of these clubs will be on bye in Week 10. After that, the Dolphins will face the Raiders at home and the Chiefs will take on the Eagles in a Super Bowl LVII rematch at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs win their international head-to-head against the Dolphins to move to 7-2 on the season, 21-14. From here, both of these clubs will be on the bye in Week 10. After that, the Dolphins will face the Raiders at home and the Chiefs will take on the Eagles in a Super Bowl LVII rematch at Arrowhead Stadium.
What a collapse by Miami. Tua Tagovailoa fumbled the botched snap on fourth down which effectively ended the game. All the Chiefs need to do now is run down a minute's worth of clock and they'll move to 7-2 on the season.
Bradley Chubb forced Mahomes to throw the ball away on third down and now the Chiefs are forced to punt the ball away.
That 7-yard reception is Kelce's first catch of the second half.
That was a horrible decision by Mecole Hardman to field that punt. Should have let it go out of bounds to have the offense start at the 25-yard line. Instead, Hardman put the offense at the K.C. 10-yard line. A 15-yard swing.
The K.C. defense has stepped up! Back-to-back negative plays for the Dolphins, including an 11-yard sack to create a third-and-long.
After struggling on third down for most of this game, the Dolphins have converted both of their third down situations on this critical drive.
That was CLOSE! Mosert fumbles the football but it is recovered by Miami. A lucky break to keep the comeback hopes alive.
If the Dolphins end up winning this game, it would tie the largest comeback (21 points) in International Series history (Lions vs Falcons, 2014).
A monster stop by the Miami defense. MVS had a step on his defender, but couldn't connect with Mahomes on the big gain. With 12:07 left in this game, Tua Tagovailoa has a chance to knot the game at 21.
The Chiefs have 17 giveaways this season, now tied for the most in the NFL.
Goodness. Chris Jones is flagged for a late hit that gives the Dolphins a new set of downs after they would have needed to settle for a field goal. Terrible penalty for the star Chiefs defender. And the Dolphins immediately cash in with a Raheem Mostert 13-yard touchdown run on the very next play. All of a sudden it's a one-score game.
Tagovailoa just missed Hill. Threw the ball a little high and behind him, albeit with Hill getting a hand on it. Had they connected in stride, that's probably a first down and much more.
The momentum shift that the Dolphins needed! After previously having plenty of time to throw the football for most of the game, the Dolphins started to bring pressure and Bradley Chubb was able to strip-sack Mahomes and Miami recovered the ball at the K.C. 27-yard line. An opportunity for Tua Tagovailoa to cut this lead to one score.
Great job by Bradley Chubb to get his hand on that throw from Mahomes, but it also didn't seem like the K.C. offense -- specifically Mahomes and Kelce -- were in sync on that play. Dangerous play, but the ball fell harmlessly to the ground.
And the Dolphins are on the board. Tua Tagovailoa completes a 31-yard bomb to Cedrick Wilson. Tagovailoa just throws it up to Wilson, who was able to turn around Trent McDuffie and haul in the score.
That 6-yard completion to Smythe is the first third-down conversion by Miami so far.
Miami's had six straight punts to this point in the third quarter. For the season, they had punted 20 times entering Week 9.
A much-needed punt forced by the Dolphins defense. Vic Fangio's unit has kept Miami competitive, but it's really been the offense that has put Miami behind in this matchup thus far.
Miami is putting itself in impossible situations. Penalties send them backward, an incompletion on second down sets up a third-and-long, and then the offense can't convert and is forced to punt it away. That's simply a losing formula.
Penalties continue to plague the Dolphins to begin this second half and just erased a big gain by Mostert.
The Chiefs are up 21-0 at the half, but it's been a quiet game so far for Travis Kelce. The star tight end has just two catches (two targets) for seven yards.
Trent McDuffie knocked the ball loose out of Tyreek Hill and Mike Edwards was able to not only recover the ball but then lateral it back to Bryan Cook, who ran it back for a touchdown. What a turn of events in Germany!
That touchdown drive by Kansas City took 13 plays. For the entire first half to this point, the Dolphins have run 17 plays ...
