The Kansas City Chiefs escaped Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 27-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in a tightly contested Week 3 matchup. The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading blows throughout the contest, The Associated Press reports.
The Falcons jumped out to an early lead thanks to a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Cousins to wide receiver Drake London, who also caught the game-winning score against the Eagles last week.
Kansas City, however, answered with a 13-play, 79-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to tight end Noah Gray. The Falcons regained the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Cordarrelle Patterson, set up by a 50-yard pass from Cousins to Kyle Pitts.
The Chiefs then capitalized on a wobbly pass from Cousins, intercepted by Chamarri Conner, and Harrison Butker nailed a 44-yard field goal to trim the Falcons’ lead to 14-13 at halftime.
The third quarter saw Butker put the Chiefs ahead with a 21-yard field goal, and Kansas City extended their lead later in the quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Despite the valiant effort from Cousins, the Falcons’ offensive line suffered a blow when right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman went out with injuries. The backups struggled to protect Cousins, who was sacked twice and hit 10 times throughout the game.
The Falcons’ late surge included a successful two-point conversion, bringing them within three points with seconds left on the clock. However, a final push to tie the game fell short as Cousins’ fourth-down pass to Pitts was incomplete.
Despite a strong performance from Cousins, who completed 5 passes for 66 yards, the Falcons struggled to maintain their momentum after the injuries to their offensive line. Mahomes, meanwhile, bounced back from his fourth interception of the season to lead the Chiefs to victory.
The Chiefs will now travel to Los Angeles to face the Chargers next week, while the Falcons will host their NFC South rivals, the New Orleans Saints.
