NFL highlights on Oct. 1: ‘Patrick Magic’ saves Chiefs against Jets

The Kansas City Chiefs edged the New York Jets 23-20 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, securing their third straight win.

The Chiefs began the competition with sharp offense that put them on a 1-0 lead in the first quarter. However, the Jets’ defensive group began to attack their offensive line more fiercely from the second quarter, putting the Chiefs’ quarterback (QB) Patrick Mahomes under more pressure, leaving him less time to read the game or to think about the plays.

As a result, Mahomes had a relatively poor passing game, completing 18 of his 30 passes for 203 yards, one touchdown with two interceptions. His team only made two field goals after the first quarter.

Meanwhile, the Jets’ offense grew much smoother from the second quarter, thanks to QB Zach Wilson’s playmaking. He threw 28-for-39 to generate 245 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. After he completed a two-point conversion in the third quarter, the team tied the score 20-20 and were on a hot run.

The ability to improvise and make key plays set the difference between Mahomes, arguably the best QB in today’s NFL, and Wilson, whose performance consistency has always been in question. Mahomes seized multiple opportunities to rush forward out of the pocket to score significant first downs in the second half.

One of his greatest plays happened at the end of the fourth quarter. The Chiefs were leading 23-20 on third and eight and were close enough to the end zone to score a touchdown. Mahomes again rushed out of the pocket toward the end zone, but instead of going for a touchdown, he rushed nine yards before sliding down at the Jets’ 2-yard line, getting the first down that allowed him to kneel and run out the final seconds of the game without giving the Jets any chance to come back.

“I knew I put us in two bad positions,” Mahomes said. No one points fingers in that locker room. We all play together. Not everything is going to be pretty, but the guys responded, and we found a way to win.”

Earlier on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals 35-16 at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, California. Running back Christian McCaffrey tallied 177 yards and scored four touchdowns, three via rushing and one by connecting with QB Brock Purdy. He has had at least one touchdown in 13 consecutive games, including in the playoffs, setting a new franchise record.

“I’m not sure on the whole rest of the league right now, but I thought he played like [an MVP] last year when he was here,” the 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan said of McCaffrey. “Christian’s so awesome; he helps us win every time he’s out there, but when you’ve got a guy who can do everything, you can always have unbelievable stats, but he shares that with a lot of other guys, and we do whatever it takes to win. So, that’s to me the thing that would make it the hardest for him, just stats and just how it works out.”

Other games on Sunday (away teams come first):

Atlanta Falcons 7-23 Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins 20-48 Buffalo Bills

Minnesota Vikings 21-13 Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos 31-28 Chicago Bears

Baltimore Ravens 28-3 Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers 6-30 Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams 29-23 Indianapolis Colts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-9 New Orleans Saints

Washington Commanders 31-34 Philadelphia Eagles

Cincinnati Bengals 3-27 Tennessee Titans

Los Angeles Raiders 17-24 Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots 3-38 Dallas Cowboys