The Kansas City Chiefs finally found the formula to win a one-score game in 2025, as Patrick Mahomes led a dramatic overtime comeback to beat the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 at Arrowhead Stadium. Trailing 20-9 entering the fourth quarter, Kansas City scored the game’s final 14 points, ending a two-game losing streak and keeping its playoff hopes.
“This is exactly what we needed,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters following the victory. “To win against a really good football team when the game’s not going your way, you could’ve folded in that situation and been kind of for the rest of the season. The guys responded and then found a way to win. Every single unit. Offense, we found a way at the end. Defense stood tall multiple times to give us chances, and then Harrison (Butker) and (Matt) Araiza did a great job at flipping the field and making field goals. We needed a win like this, and now let’s just try to build off of it.”
The victory was crucial for a Chiefs team that entered Week 12 with a 5-5 record and 0-5 in one-score games, a noticeable difference from their last season's flawless 12-0 record in such contests. The overtime victory improved Kansas City’s record to 6-5 and boosted their playoff probability to 65%, up from a 37% likelihood had they lost, according to The Athletic’s simulator. The Chiefs has qualified for the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons, the second-longest streak in NFL history.
Kansas City’s comeback relied heavily on both clutch offensive plays and a defensive uptick. Mahomes finished 29-of-46 for 352 yards, with Rashee Rice grabbing eight passes for 141 yards, including a 47-yard catch and an essential fourth-and-3 conversion late in the fourth quarter. Kareem Hunt added 104 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown, while Harrison Butker converted two decisive field goals, a 25-yarder to tie the game at the end of regulation and a 27-yarder in overtime to clinch the win.
Defensively, the Chiefs held Indianapolis, the NFL’s top-scoring offense, to just 255 total yards, forcing three-and-outs on each of the Colts’ final four possessions starting in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones managed only 17 combined passing yards in the final quarter and overtime, while star running back Jonathan Taylor, who entered the game leading the league in rushing, managed only 58 yards on 16 carries as the Chiefs kept him out of the end zone.
Thanks to the victory, Kansas City remains firmly in the playoff conversation heading to a Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. While challenges remain, particularly matchups against the AFC West rivals Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs demonstrated they can still execute in clutch situations, holding onto their postseason hopes.
