Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Final Score/OT: KC 30 – TB 24
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
An overtime thriller of a game through a torrential downpour, the undermanned Buccaneers went the distance and took the Chiefs to task – but Mahomes is inevitable, leading the undefeated home team to their eighth consecutive win this season on a walk-off touchdown.
Three Up
- DeAndre Hopkins, WR (KC) – With all of the talk since the trade went through, this felt like more of a question of “when” rather than “if.” Hopkins looked unstoppable on the night, corralling almost every target launched at him by Mahomes on the way to two scores. There have been question marks surrounding the veteran and his health at this stage of his career, but tonight, he looked deadly with the ball in his hands and should fill the gap desperately needed in Kansas City’s WR room.
- Patrick Mahomes, QB (KC) – The super-star QB is the fuel that keeps this team firing on all cylinders, and on Monday night, that was prominently on display. The Chiefs found themselves in a dogfight against a cornered and scrappy Bucs team – but despite the game’s close nature, the slick field conditions, and even injury (one that brought GEHA Field to a breathless silence), Mahomes found a way. It was an excellent game and one that pushed the defending champs to 8-0 on the midway point of the season.
- Baker Mayfield, QB (TB) – After the injuries that brought low the Buccaneers’ WR corps, I quickly wrote off Mayfield and his production through future games. He’s absolutely proved me wrong thus far, and against the Chiefs on Monday Night, he was one of the main reasons Tampa Bay was even able to keep it close to begin with. Mayfield slung the ball around consistently to a bevy of receivers, finding the gaps in coverage and answering Kansas City at every turn. His actions at the end of the game brought the Bucs even through a quick 10-play, 71-yard drive, forcing overtime and showing his resiliency in prime time. His only flaw on the evening – losing the coin flip.
One Down
- Rachaad White, RB (TB) – White actually had himself a great day on the road, averaging 6.3 yards a carry with an impressive rushing TD early in the 2nd Quarter. He finds himself on the list because, inexplicably, Tampa Bay seemingly turned away from him for the rest of the game. Bucky Irving ended up as the lead rusher for the Bucs with just seven total carries and 24 yards, stifling what could have been a dominant game had they continued to feed their presumed starter the ball. In a close game under heavy rain against Mahomes and company where your RB is averaging a first down every two carries, you’d think they would have handed it off more.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield: 23/31, 200 Yards, 2 TDs | 4 Carries, 20 Yards
The resurgent QB was poised and tough going toe-to-toe with the NFL’s last undefeated team.
Mayfield refused to blink against a stout defensive front, gunning the ball where it needed to go and leading the Bucs to a solid lead before it slipped away in the 4th quarter. Even without his usual targets on the boundary, the QB didn’t skip a beat, hitting a multitude of options downfield. His average was a bit middling, though it was just enough to keep the Chiefs on their heels and ultimately force the game into extra minutes. It was a truly poised performance by the former Oklahoma Sooner, one that showed the rest of the league just how good he can be and gave a light at the end of a tunnel for Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes.
Even through diversity, so long as Mayfield is at the helm, the reeling Bucs may still yet have a chance.
Running Back
Bucky Irving: 7 Carries, 24 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 10 Yards
Tampa Bay’s leading rusher had himself an uneventful outing on the road in this one.
The committee approach appears alive and well, and Irving ended up out-touching all others, even with a poor YPC average (3.4). It was bizarre, given how well White was performing to start the game off, but head coach Todd Bowles stuck to his guns. At least Irving was involved, but it had to be frustrating for fantasy managers of any player in this backfield.
Rachaad White: 3 Carries, 19 Yards, 1 TD | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 16 Yards
White looked unhindered on the way to the game’s first TD, but that was all she wrote from there, and I couldn’t tell you why.
The three runs that featured White were impressive, and even with a small sample size, the Chiefs just couldn’t stop him. I get that the committee approach has had its moment this season for the Bucs, but the hot hand was White, apparently, and they allowed that hand to fizzle.
He ultimately had a decent week given his TD – but wow, what ultimately could have been.
Sean Tucker: 3 Carries, 11 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Cade Otton: 11 Targets, 8 Receptions, 77 Yards, 1 TD
Otton continues to be the man.
He out-targeted all other pass catchers for the Buccaneers by a country mile, positioning himself as Mayfield’s favorite target on the night by getting open and making ridiculously tough catches all over the field. At one point, while leaping for a catch on a dangerous ball in the dead center of the field, he was speared by a Chiefs’ safety on a brutal hit – and he got up like nothing happened, continuing to dominate. He has been a revelation for the Bucs despite all of their injuries and continued to showcase his talents for the country to witness.
Sterling Shepard: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 48 Yards | 2 Carries, 21 Yards
The veteran showed up for Tampa Bay when he was needed most.
Given the number of wideouts that missed this game for Tampa, it should have been given that a player as skilled as Shepard would rise to the occasion and produce results for the offense on the road. Through the last few weeks, that hasn’t been a guarantee, but on Monday Night Football, the former Giant did well, finishing second on the team in yards, receptions, and targets. It was a solid bounce-back performance and one that, hopefully, he can build on down the stretch.
Trey Palmer: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 33 Yards
Rakim Jarrett: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Ryan Miller: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes: 34/44, 291 Yards, 3 TDs | 2 Carries, 9 Yards
Mahomes is still Mahomes, and that continues to be dangerous for the rest of the league.
On a night when the rain was incessant, the veteran QB had no problem performing his usual magic on the Buccaneers’ defense. They harassed him to no end, registering four total sacks on the evening – and still, he kept the Chiefs’ offense competitive and in the game, willing them from a 7-point deficit to seize the lead with just a few minutes left in the second half. Upon winning the OT coin toss, it was all she wrote – Mahomes and co. needed just a single possession to snatch the win away and remain undefeated on the year.
The former Red Raider QB was masterful at finding open receivers, and his connection with the star pass catchers Kansas City still has is surgical, to say the least. He traumatized the home crowd after his game-tying TD, hobbling himself on a bad ankle with minutes left in the 4th quarter – but in typical Mahomes’ fashion, he refused to leave the game, and it worked out quite well for Kansas City in the end.
His three TDs sated fantasy manage
rs who had been less than pleased with his slower-paced season thus far, but he picked an excellent outing in prime time to boom and reward those who started him with a great performance all around.
Running Back
Kareem Hunt: 27 Carries, 106 Yards, 1 TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
The overtime hero continued his stellar play out of the Kansas City backfield.
Hunt has been a solid free-agent pickup in light of the injuries in the Chiefs’ backfield and continued to perform at home when they needed it most. His yards-per-carry average wasn’t exactly high (3.9), but the timing of his tough runs proved clutch, walking off the win with his final touch, a 2-yard scamper into the end zone.
Samaje Perine: 1 Carry, 10 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 25 Yards, 1 TD
The receiving threat out of the backfield had a decent game overall, the recipient of Mahomes’ first TD on the night. He still takes a backseat when it comes to rushing attempts, but his volume and numbers in the passing game were more than enough in this outing to make up for it.
Carson Steele: 3 Carries, 9 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Travis Kelce: 16 Targets, 14 Receptions, 100 Yards, 1 FUM (Lost)
Kelce quietly had himself quite a night on Monday Night Football.
I say quietly because he felt overshadowed by the performances of his teammates around him – but make no mistake, his numbers exploded against the Bucs in this one. He was the unquestioned leader on the night in targets, receptions, and receiving yards, making himself available on every play for Mahomes to sling the ball to him.
Kelce had an inexplicable fumble late in the 2nd quarter that killed a promising Chiefs’ drive – but his consistency made up for it, and the volume was something many had been hoping for since drafting him as one of the NFL’s premier tight ends. Overall, it was a very good night for the future Hall of Famer.
DeAndre Hopkins: 9 Targets, 8 Receptions, 86 Yards, 2 TDs
Hopkins chose Monday Night to come alive in booming fashion.
The trade news for the veteran wideout from Tennessee sparked hope for a banged-up WR corps in Kansas City, and while it took a week to acclimate, Hopkins has indeed sparked life for the Chiefs’ weaponry on offense. He showcased his elite athleticism and showed no signs of slowing down, registering catch after catch and decisively reeling in two scores on the evening. His long of 35 was his most impressive reception on the night, splitting Bucs defenders down the middle seam to bring it in.
It sure looks like a new option has emerged to dominate for the Super Bowl champs, and the rest of the league should be soundly on notice.
Xavier Worthy: 2 Targets | 2 Carries, -10 Yards
Worthy himself could have had an excellent game had it not been for poor spatial awareness on his part. The rookie wideout had multiple chances on the evening for scores and long receptions – it just didn’t go his way.
Being blanked is far from ideal with the opportunity that presents himself on a contending squad.
Justin Watson: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 43 Yards
Mecole Hardman: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 17 Yards
Peyton Hendershot: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Noah Grey: 1 Target
Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)