The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals as time expired in Week 2 thanks to a game-winning kick from Harrison Butker. Similar to their previous duels, the Chiefs victory came with a fair share of controversy. And once again, the game was decided by a late field goal, with Butker delivering the goods on a 51-yard kick to give Kansas City a 26-25 victory..
Aside from Patrick Mahomes, it's been Butker whose been Kansas City's hero in these infamous crunch-time affairs. Following a defensive pass interference call against Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony on 4th-and-16 with 48 seconds left in the game, Mahomes put the veteran kicker in position to do what he's done all throughout his career. As a result, it wasn't much of a surprise to see him nail the kick through the uprights
Butker celebrated the huge 26-25 win, and his fourth career game-winning kick, by taking selfies with Chiefs fans after the game.
The Chiefs and Bengals have been in these scenarios before, and Butker remembers them vividly. In their 2023 playoff matchup, Butker delivered a game-winning kick to send Kansas City to the Super Bowl, and after this victory, he compared the two game-winning kicks, noting that they were very similar.
“They're always very tight, and this game reminded me of the 2023 AFC Championship Game,” Butker said, per Jordan Foote of SI.com. “I think it was a 48-yarder, right hash, kick to win the game as well going that same direction.”
Harrison Butker is always prepared for last-second heroics
The Chiefs appear to always find themselves in close games. What is becoming more clear to NFL fans, though, is that they expect it to happen. Head coach Andy Reid has mastered the chess game that he plays with his competitors late in these contests. He runs an offense that is tailored to managing the clock, assuring that the Chiefs are giving themselves the best chance they can to win without giving their opponent an opportunity to respond. It's a science to Reid, and it's worked quite well for the reigning Super Bowl champs.
Butker will get more opportunities to deliver in the clutch as the season moves along. The Chiefs are 2-0, and they will look to him when they come up short on offensive drives. And considering how it appears as if star running back Isiah Pacheco is set to miss some time with a fractured fibula, the Chiefs could find their offense stalling a bit more moving forward, which could mean even more work for the veteran kicker in Butker.
Follow Us
Subscribe
