TAMPA, Fla. — For more than 19 ½ months, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs endured the bitter memory of their loss to the Bucs in Super Bowl 55.
When given a chance for some revenge Sunday night, they settled an old score with a mostly lopsided one.
Mahomes outsmarted the Bucs defense in the Chiefs’ 41-31 win over Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday night.
Mahomes passed for 249 yards and three touchdowns (with a late interception that set up a Bucs’ touchdown) in handing the Bucs (2-2) their second straight loss at home.
Tampa Bay entered the game having allowed only 27 points in three games but was ripped for 28 in the first half alone. The Bucs were displaced all week, having to move to south Florida for four days due to Hurricane Ian. But that’s no excuse.
The Bucs couldn’t have had a worst start against the Chiefs. Like they did against the Packers a week earlier, the Bucs fell behind 14-3 in the first quarter.
Their offense couldn’t sustain drives and the defense couldn’t get off the field. Rookie running back Rachaad White fumbled the opening kickoff at the Tampa Bay 21.
Two plays later, the Chiefs were in the end zone with Mahomes throwing a 16-yard touchdown to Travis Kelce.
The Bucs drove 45 yards on their first try on offense. But short yardage continued to bedevil them. Running back Leonard Fournette was tackled for a loss on second and 1, and they settled for a 45-yard field goal by Ryan Succop.
Mahomes and Kelce were unstoppable, especially on the big downs. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs had converted 11 of 13 third downs.
Once, when Kelce wasn’t available, Mahomes stepped out of a certain sack by cornerback Carlton Davis and fired across his body to JuJu Smith-Schuster for a first down.
Mahomes, who was sacked three times and intercepted twice in the Super Bowl, was crafty and creative Sunday.
Flushed to his right, he avoided a sack by Devin White, spun around and shoveled a 2-yard TD pass to Clyde Edwards-Hellaire for a touchdown.
That gave the Chiefs a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Credit Tom Brady for keeping the Bucs in the game in the first half. He went 5 of 6 passing for 75 yards. That included a 30-yard strike to Mike Evans as well as a 13-yard TD pass to the Bucs’ all-time leading receiver. That score cut the Chiefs’ lead to 21-10.
The Chiefs were barreling down the field again but stopped themselves. On fourth and 1 from the Tampa Bay 34, Edwards-Hellaire was left alone in the right flat but dropped a pass from Mahomes that would have been an easy first down.
But on the next play, Brady was sacked by cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and fumbled. Chris Jones recovered for the Chiefs at the Tampa Bay 20. Brady appeared to hurt his shoulder on the play but remained in the game.
Mahomes ran for a first down and the Chiefs made it 28-10 when tight end Noah Gray went in motion and took the snap before rushing for a 1-yard TD run.
Of course, Brady still had time before halftime and he delivered, completing seven passes. Cameron Brate drew a pass interference penalty before Brady found Evans in the end zone again, this time on a fade route to cut the Chiefs’ halftime lead to 28-17.
Matthew Wright’s 44-yard field goal increased the Chiefs’ lead to 31-17. Mahomes’ third TD pass was a 10-yarder to third-string tight end Jody Fortson.
White’s first career touchdown run made it a two-score game for the Bucs, trailing 38-24 with only 44 seconds left in the third quarter. But that only gave the Bucs 3 net rushing yards, two more than fewest in a game in team history.
Brady finished 38-of-51 for 367 yards and three touchdowns.
