Kansas City Chiefs
at
Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams 54, Kansas City Chiefs 51
This was a game for all-time, was it not? An instant classic!
It was the highest scoring Monday Night Football game in history, and the third highest scoring game in NFL history, period. Only two games in the history of the league ever had two teams score more combined points. The first was a 72-41 win by Washington over the New York Giants in 1966. The next was a 58-48 win by Cincinnati over Cleveland in 2004.
Neither of those games managed the kind of last-minute intense ending that yesterday's game had, when the final outcome and winner were not determined until the very end.
Another record: the Kansas City Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to lose a game after having scored at least 50 points. The previous record happened just a few years ago, when the Saints outlasted the Giants, 52-49, back in November of 2015.
Both quarterbacks had incredible games. Jared Goff completed 31 of 49 passes for 413 yards and four touchdowns. His overall quarterback rating in this game was an impressive 117.1.
Yet, he was likely outplayed by Patrick Mahomes, who had night like no other. Statistically, Mahomes had an amazing game, although his team still fell short. Mahomes completed 33 of 46 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns, although he also had three INT's. Still, he earned a 117.6 overall quarterback rating, and he threw for more yards, and threw more touchdowns, than in any game before.
Another standout in this game was Kansas City wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who led all receivers with 215 yards on 10 receptions, with two of those catches going for touchdowns. It was the first Chiefs player to have an over 200-yard receiving game since Stephone Paige did it nearly thirty years ago on September 17, 1990.
Overall, the two teams combined for 14 touchdowns in this game. which is yet another record that this game established.
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said:
"It was a whirlwind. I feel like I might need a couple beverages to relax tonight. But it was great. This is what you love so much about the game.''
Clearly, for once, a game lived up to it's billing. Yes, this was a hyped up game, and everyone seemed eager to finally see it happen. But the amount of offensive output might have been surprising even to those who expected some fireworks. Both offenses, and particularly both passing games, were simply off the charts.
One kind of positive for Kansas City is that they are actually averaging more points per game in their losses (45.5) than in their wins (34.8). The Chiefs still have produced more points than any other team this season, with 404 total points, and are averaging 36.7 points per game. If they were to keep that up for the remaining five games this season, they would rank as the third highest scoring offense in league history. The Rams, however, are right behind them, averaging 35.4 points per game, and are actually now averaging more total yards per game.
Another startling record that was set yesterday belonged to one player in particular: Kansas City running back.Kareem Hunt. He became the first player in nearly six decades to have at least both seven touchdowns receiving, as well as seven rushing touchdowns, in the first 11 games of a season. Hall of Famer Lenny Moore was the last player to do it, back in 1961 for the Baltimore Colts.
With all of those mind-boggling numbers in last night's game, you might be forgiven if you assumed that both defenses just got scorched, time and time again. But that was not entirely the case, as both defenses scored touchdowns. In fact, Rams Linebacker Samson Ebukam became the first player since sacks first became officially recorded in 1982 to record a sack, an interception and multiple touchdowns in a single game. He scored both of the defensive touchdowns for the Rams.
Ultimately, what decided this game were the turnovers. While Mahomes made many of the highlight reels with his six touchdown passes, he also set a rather strange record as well, as he became the first quarterback since Gus Frerotte in 2000 to throw at least five touchdowns while committing five turnovers. He had three INT's, and fumbled twice, as well. Those five turnovers were what really did KC in, as the Rams, by contrast, only had two turnovers.
Last night's game will surely be remembered as one of the greatest games in NFL history, with both teams showing some exceptional skills. Indeed, the Rams and Chiefs entered this game with identical 9-1 marks on the season, and both teams still stay atop their respective conferences in terms of overall record. The Rams have now faced two of the best teams in the league in the last three weeks, and they played well on offense in both. But they also allowed a ton of points in each game, which has to be a source of concern. The same goes for the Chiefs, because they sure seem to allow a ton of points in the games that they lose. It might only happen rarely, but when it does, their defense really gets exposed.
Still, this game should be remembered for the incredible numbers and skills of the offense on both teams, and for the fired up atmosphere clearly on display for both teams. A lot was riding on this game, and there can be no doubt that both teams desperately wanted to win this one. In the end, in a battle of elites, it was the hometown Rams who wound up outlasting the Chiefs to earn a victory in what will be remembered as the most eagerly anticipated regular season game in many years. With all of the unbelievable numbers that the two teams put up in last night's game, it should be remembered as one of those truly rare games that finally lived up to it's billing!
My prediction: Accurate
Here are the two ESPN articles that I used in writing this particular blog entry, including the one quote from the L.A. Rams head coach:
Rams, Chiefs put up record numbers in wild MNF game by ESPN, November 20, 2018:
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25328455/los-angeles-rams-kansas-city-chiefs-combine-record-night-mnf
Kareem Hunt's cornucopia of touchdowns matches 57-year-old mark by Adam Teicher of ESPN, November 20, 2018:
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