Leading into Monday Night, the hype centered around the game was extraordinary. People were already considering it the game of the year, and it had a Super Bowl like feel to it. There was even a half-time performance. The Las Vegas Superbook had the over/under at 63, the highest since 1986. The two teams combined for 105 points, tied for third all time. Furthermore, the game was a foreshadowing of perhaps the future of the NFL. There was absence in the running game, as even star Todd Gurley was only given the ball only 12 times. In addition, the cornerbacks went to sleep as Tyreek Hill blasted the Rams secondary for 215 yards and two scores. Tight end Travis Kelce also chipped in over 100 yards and a score for the Chiefs. The Rams also had Brandin Cooks go over 100 yards and Gerald Everett scored twice, including the go-ahead game-winner.
The factor that broke open the game, however, was the defense. Not the secondary, but the front seven. In total, there were 7 turnovers, 4 of them being fumbles. Aaron Donald truly did change the course of the game. His strip sack in the second quarter that led to a touchdown helped stopped the Chiefs momentum after they came back from a 13 point deficit. His strip sack in the third quarter stopped the Chiefs from scoring and taking the lead. Another unlikely hero was linebacker Samson Ebukam. He returned one of Donald's sacks for a touchdown and had a pick-six of his own where he read Patrick Mahomes perfectly. At the end of the game, the Rams sealed it on a poorly thrown ball from Mahomes that was picked off by former Chief Marcus Peters.
In conclusion, the Rams won a back-and-forth affair 54-51, where 10 different players scored touchdowns. The Rams still remain in the second seed in the NFC and should stay there unless the Saints lose once more. The Chiefs maintain their first seed and should stay there as their main competitors, the Patriots, and Chargers, both lost and are a full game back on the Chiefs.
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