Gordon rushes for 146 yards as Chiefs edge Patriots 34-31

Kansas City, MO - Ollie Gordon II rushed for a game-high 146 yards and Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdown passes as the Kansas City Chiefs built an advantage and held off the New England Patriots 34-31 in Week 15.

Kansas City entered the game 5-8 against a New England team that arrived at 9-4, but the difference in their records was nowhere to be found in the final margin. The Chiefs generated enough separation to play from ahead before the Patriots narrowed the gap, turning the closing portion into a tense finish without erasing Kansas City’s edge.

The score suggested a nearly even afternoon. The broader numbers did not. Kansas City finished with 526 offensive yards, 25 first downs and 301 rushing yards. New England totaled 328 offensive yards and 12 first downs, including 150 yards on the ground.

Gordon carried 18 times, the most rushing attempts by any player in the game, and scored a touchdown. His 32-yard run was also the game’s longest. Kenneth Walker gave Kansas City a second 100-yard rusher with 132 yards on 17 attempts, including a long run of 31 yards. Together, the two backs accounted for 278 of the Chiefs’ rushing yards.

"Kenneth and I both had productive days, and that makes it tough to focus on just one guy," Gordon said. "When the carries kept coming, I wanted to make every one count. We had a lot of room to keep working."

Mahomes completed 24 of 39 passes for 225 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Xavier Worthy was his leading target, catching 10 passes for a game-high 107 yards and a touchdown. Noah Gray made the most of limited yardage, turning three receptions for eight yards into two touchdowns.

The Chiefs reached the red zone seven times, scoring three touchdowns and kicking two field goals. They also converted both of their fourth-down attempts and went 7-for-16 on third down. Those repeated opportunities stood in contrast to New England’s two red-zone trips.

"We weren’t perfect, and the interception is something I have to own," Mahomes said. "But we kept getting opportunities, the backs were producing, and we stayed aggressive. There are things to clean up, but getting the result is what matters."

New England stayed within range with Drake Maye delivering three touchdown passes of his own. Maye completed 16 of 29 attempts for 178 yards and finished with a 108.1 passer rating. He also rushed for 55 yards on seven carries, while Rhamondre Stevenson led the Patriots with 59 yards on eight attempts.

A.J. Brown supplied New England’s biggest gain through the air, catching a game-long 50-yard pass as part of a two-reception, 64-yard performance. Brown, Will Dissly and Tyquan Thornton each caught a touchdown pass. Dissly finished with four catches for 31 yards, while Thornton had four receptions for 23 yards.

"We hit some things down the field and finished some chances, but 31 points wasn’t enough today," Maye said. "That’s the frustrating part. We were right there against an offense that put up a lot of yards, and we leave without the result we wanted."

The Patriots also produced the more active pass rush. New England recorded five sacks, including two by Christian Elliss, while Kansas City finished with one. Kevin Byard III recorded the game’s only interception and returned it 19 yards. The Chiefs nevertheless continued to create offensive volume, with Mahomes, Gordon, Walker and Worthy each finishing as the game leader in a major yardage category.

Kansas City’s balance gave the game a distinctive shape. Mahomes never needed a completion longer than 17 yards, yet the Chiefs still surpassed 500 offensive yards. New England leaned on a smaller number of explosive gains and Maye’s three touchdown passes as it reduced the margin, but Kansas City emerged with the three-point victory.

Up Next

The Chiefs will remain home to host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, while the Patriots will look to rebound on the road against the New York Jets.