Connection powers champs
Mahomes finds Hill for 3 TDs as Chiefs hold off Brady, Bucs
TAMPA, Fla. — Patrick Mahomes threw for 462 yards and three touchdowns to outplay Tom Brady and lead the Chiefs to a 27-24 victory over the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Tyreek Hill scored on receptions of 75, 44 and 20 yards, backflipping into the end zone on his second TD, and finishing with 13 catches for 269 yards — the last an 8-yard catch on third-and-7 to give Mahomes an opportunity to run out the clock.
The Chiefs (10-1) won their sixth straight game and clinched their seventh 10-win season in eight years under coach Andy Reid.
The reigning Super Bowl champions improved to 6-0 on the road and have won nine straight away from home going back to last year.
Brady was 27 of 41 for 345 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of second-half interceptions in falling to 2-2 in four career meetings against Mahomes, who built an early 17-0 lead and also had the Chiefs up by 17 entering the fourth quarter.
The Bucs made it close, with Brady throwing TD passes of 31 and 7 yards to Mike Evans, the latter trimming their deficit to 27-24 with 4:10 remaining.
The Bucs never got the ball back.
The Chiefs led 20-7 at halftime, with Hill having seven catches for 203 yards in the first quarter alone. The Bucs were fortunate they weren’t in a bigger hole at the break.
The Chiefs ran 42 plays to the Bucs’ 22 in the first two quarters, outgaining the hosts 377 yards to 131 with Mahomes throwing for 359 yards and Brady 117.
Three drives inside the Bucs 20, however, only netted a pair of short field goals.
Shaquil Barrett sacked Mahomes, forcing a fumble that William Gholston recovered at the 14 with the Chiefs looking to build on a 17-0 lead.
Bashaud Breeland and Tyrann Mathieu had the Chiefs’ interceptions off Brady.