KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a matter of seconds, the loud roar at Arrowhead Stadium dissipated. Most fans went silent.

Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ leading man, had thrown a touchdown pass but ended the play with his hands on his helmet and his facemask on the wet turf, his knees and elbows close together to illustrate how much pain he felt. In those seconds, everyone in the Chiefs organization wondered what happened. What part of Mahomes’ body did he hurt? Could he even finish Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Or did he sustain a frightening non-contact, season-ending injury, perhaps sinking the Chiefs’ chances of capturing an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl victory?

When Mahomes entered the medical tent on the Chiefs’ sideline, coach Andy Reid walked toward Carson Wentz, telling the veteran backup quarterback to get ready to finish the game. Mahomes exited the tent in less than two minutes.

“I thought he was joking,” Mahomes said with a smile. “I was like, ‘Come on, we’re not doing this again.’”

Unlike the AFC divisional-round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 postseason, Mahomes didn’t miss a snap against the Buccaneers despite having a sprained left ankle. Similar to that memorable playoff game, which started the team’s championship run, Mahomes returned to the field and played most of the fourth quarter and overtime through his injury Monday night to lead the Chiefs (8-0) to a 30-24 comeback victory in a rainstorm.

“He trusts me,” Mahomes said of Reid. “Once the doctors checked it out and I was able to get back and do the (dropbacks) again, he let me get back on the field. As time went on, the pain subsided.”

Early in the fourth quarter, Mahomes sustained his injury when he scrambled out of the pocket and flicked a short pass to running back Samaje Perine, whose 7-yard touchdown tied the game. Mahomes said he felt pain in his ankle when he planted his left foot on the slippery tuft just before releasing the pass.

Two trainers had to help Mahomes walk across the field to be further evaluated. In the tent, additional tape was applied to Mahomes’ left ankle and foot to manage the swelling.

“I was running for the goal line and had committed to running the ball,” Mahomes said. “At the last second, I saw Samaje and awkwardly rolled the ankle a little bit. It was definitely scary. It hurt more because it was the same ankle I rolled last week (against the Las Vegas Raiders). Once I calmed down a little bit, it ended up being not too bad.”

Patrick Mahomes had to be helped off the field after this play where he suffered an apparent injury to his leg. pic.twitter.com/F6gLhd8F96

— ESPN (@espn) November 5, 2024

With 12 minutes left in regulation, the fans at Arrowhead produced an even louder ovation when Mahomes re-entered the game. Inside the Chiefs’ huddle, running back Kareem Hunt had a simple thought.

“We’re going to have to run the ball,” Hunt said. He added of Mahomes’ injury: “I was just hoping it wasn’t too bad.”

What came next was the Chiefs’ most impressive drive of the season, considering their circumstances.

Mahomes and Hunt orchestrated a methodical 15-play drive in which the offense took more than eight minutes off the clock, didn’t commit a penalty and scored a touchdown to take a 24-17 lead. Mahomes continued his excellence on third down, finding tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Justin Watson to continue the Chiefs’ drive. Hunt gained tough yards between the tackles and converted a fourth-and-inches snap near midfield.

“It’s my mindset and my love for the game,” Hunt said of his performance as he finished with 27 carries for a season-high 106 yards. “Even when I was on the couch (in early September), I didn’t know when I was going to get a call — or if I was going to get a call — but I stayed positive and kept working out. I was just waiting for an opportunity to show the world what I can do. I was kind of hungry for the ball.”

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With the Chiefs facing third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ 5-yard line, Mahomes found wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a one-on-one matchup for an easy touchdown. Hopkins caught the ball after running a crisp slant route against cornerback Josh Hayes. Hopkins was excellent in his first home game as a Chief after the Oct. 23 trade from the Tennessee Titans. He finished with eight receptions on nine targets for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s so good at winning one-on-one,” Mahomes said of Hopkins. “To be able to have him down in the red zone and third-down situations, he does a good job of finding those windows, kind of like Travis does. As he figures out the entire offense, he’ll get even better.”

Hopkins again 🔥

📺: #TBvsKC on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/KWQ2pYZpm8

— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2024

In the final minute of regulation, quarterback Baker Mayfield led the Buccaneers (4-5) to an impressive touchdown drive.

Without his top two receivers, Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (left ankle), Mayfield did just about everything coach Todd Bowles could’ve asked of him. Mayfield didn’t commit a turnover and was efficient on short and intermediate passes, many of the completions going to tight ends and running backs. The lone issue for the Buccaneers is that two decisions they made late in the game prevented them from beating the Chiefs, which would’ve been their best victory of the season.

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With 27 seconds left in regulation, Bowles elected not to keep his offense on the field for a potential game-winning two-point conversion.

“I am surprised,” Hunt said of Bowles’ decision. “They gave us a chance, but I guess (it was) whoever had the ball last. It could’ve (gone) either way.”

Before overtime began, Mayfield showed his frustration at midfield after he called tails and the coin landed on heads, giving the Chiefs the ball. Mayfield was never on the field again. From the sideline, he watched Mahomes engineer the game-winning drive.

Baker’s reaction to Mahomes and the Chiefs winning the OT coin toss 😅 pic.twitter.com/75hS7WFcTU

— ESPN (@espn) November 5, 2024

“Pat goes down, it’s raining and they know we’re going to run the ball,” Watson said. “We talk about it all the time: Let’s run the ball when the other team knows we’re running it. It’s cool to see that. It’s cool to see that and Pat comes back and toughs it out for us. It was just a good team win.”

Mahomes was brilliant in overtime, completing all five of his passes.

The Chiefs’ first play in overtime was a play-action pass to Hunt, who gained 11 yards. Mahomes still showed decent mobility, whether moving in the pocket to complete a short pass to Kelce or keeping the ball on a run-pass option for a 2-yard gain. Hopkins won another one-on-one matchup on the perimeter for a 15-yard reception.

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Despite the rainfall and his injury, Mahomes’ accuracy never suffered. His pinpoint passes led to 291 passing yards and a season-high three touchdowns.

“I pride myself on being able to throw in any condition,” Mahomes said. “That’s something that’s an advantage at Arrowhead. If it’s raining, snowing, cold or hot, I want to be the best thrower of the ball on the field. That’s why we want home-field advantage and the playoffs to come through Arrowhead because it’s a special place and you have to be able to play in every environment.”

Chiefs win it in overtime to remain unbeaten! pic.twitter.com/Klz0vELuAE

— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2024

Hunt ended the game with a 2-yard touchdown run, carrying two defenders into the end zone. Mahomes celebrated by lifting his arms to signal the touchdown before the officials confirmed the score.

Mahomes exited the locker room without a walking boot. Instead, he wore his black sneakers and walked away without a significant limp.

“He might have the loosest ankles in America,” Reid said of Mahomes. “It’s ridiculous how he can come back from those things — and then he’s mentally tough.”

(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)

The famous “Let’s Go Brandon!” chant, which turned into an anti-President Biden jab, was born when Brandon Brown won the first NASCAR Xfinity Series race of his career at Talladega.

The crowd yelled out “F— Joe Biden,” but the NBC Sports reporter at the time told Brown they were yelling “Let’s go Brandon!” The moment in 2021 coined the political slogan that supporters of former President Donald Trump would use to take a shot at Biden.

Brown wrote on social media Tuesday he hoped Election Day 2024 would finally put an end to the slogan.

“So I guess after today the phrase dies and y’all can sponsor me again, thanks!!!” Brown wrote on X.

It was Brown’s first post since he wrote about the death of Matthew Perry on Oct. 28, 2023.

EX-NASCAR STAR DANICA PATRICK TAKES SWIPE AT HARRIS AFTER VP AVOIDS REVEALING HOW SHE VOTED ON CALIF MEASURE

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Brandon Brown during the Xfinity Championship race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, on Nov. 5, 2022. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

The Talladega win that put him in the spotlight was also the only one of his career. He has not competed in the Xfinity Series since 2022.

Brown told The Associated Press in October 2021 that the euphemism actually ended up hurting his race team. The family-owned team struggled for sponsorship, and the partners they did have did not market the driver since the slogan became a flashpoint in presidential politics.

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Brandon Brown, #68, and driver Ty Dillon, #48, race during the Crayon 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, on July 16, 2022. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)

He had a partnership with LGBCoin with hopes of turning the “Let’s go Brandon!” phrase into a positive, but he got caught up in a lawsuit about an alleged pump and dump scheme.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jason Kelce expressed regret Monday night for choosing to “greet hate with hate” after spiking a fan’s cellphone outside Beaver Stadium before the Ohio State-Penn State game Saturday in University Park, Pa.

Kelce, the former Philadelphia Eagles center who is now a member of ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” crew, was on campus to take part in a “College GameDay” event for the network. In video footage circulating on social media of Kelce greeting fans outside the stadium, a man can be heard shouting an anti-gay slur in reference to Kelce’s brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, for “dating Taylor Swift.”

Jason Kelce then turns around and grabs a phone out of someone’s hand — presumably that of the heckler — and smashes it to the ground. Further video shows Kelce in a heated exchange with the man, using the same slur back at him multiple times.

The Penn State University Police and Public Safety Department is investigating the incident.

Kelce addressed the matter at the start of Monday night’s broadcast, before his brother Travis’ Chiefs team hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I think everybody has seen on social media everything that took place this week,” Kelce said. “Listen, I’m not happy with anything that took place. I’m not proud of it. In a heated moment I chose to greet hate with hate and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing, I really don’t. I don’t think that it leads to discourse and it’s the right way to go about things. In that moment I fell down to a level that I shouldn’t have.

“So I think the bottom line is, I try to live my life by the golden rule, that’s what I’ve always been taught. I try to treat people with common decency and respect, and I’m gonna to keep doing that moving forward even though I fell short this week.”

ESPN declined to comment for this article.

Jason Kelce is a seven-time Pro Bowl center who played all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Eagles before retiring this past offseason. The outgoing, shaggy-bearded Philadelphia icon has become well known nationally in recent years, appearing in countless TV commercials and hosting the “New Heights” podcast with his brother.

Travis Kelce is a nine-time Pro Bowler who has been dating pop music superstar Swift for more than a year.