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Watch: Patriots Score, But Lose After Kevin Harris TD Run vs. Chiefs
Cred: USA Today Images

The New England Patriots parlayed a fourth quarter miscue into seven points with time winding down in the fourth quarter of their Week 15 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium. 

At first-and-10 from the Kansas City 24-yard-line, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempted a pass over the short middle intended for receiver Kadarius Toney. The wideout showed poor protection of the football, which was eventually intercepted by linebacker Jahlani Tavai. The Pats defender nearly fumbled the ball out of the end zone which was recovered by New England. 

Taking over at the Chiefs’ 25, quarterback Bailey Zappe gained 11 yards on a short pass to receiver Demario Douglas. The drive was capped by a handoff to Pats second-year running back Kevin Harris who carried the ball 18 yards to the end zone. 

Harris’ touchdown run cut the Chiefs lead to 27-17 with just over four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, it would not be enough as the Pats eventually dropped the game to the defending Super Bowl Champs, falling to 3-11 on the season in the process. 

With Grammy award winners Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi in attendance, the Pats and the Chiefs are meeting for the first time since 2020. The Chiefs took a 26-10 victory in that game, which was moved from Sunday to Monday during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ironically, Sunday’s game also experienced a change in date, having been originally scheduled for Monday night. As such, the Patriots earned the inauspicious distinction of being the first team to be displaced from their spot on Monday Night Football.

The Patriots (3-10) entered this game on the heels of a 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Conversely, the Chiefs (8-5) suffered a hard-luck 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Pats are without the services of starting left guard Cole Strange, who left the game in the first half with a lower leg injury. Receivers Kayshon Boutte (healthy scratch) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) as well starting left tackle Trent Brown (ankle/hand/illness) were all declared inactive for this matchup. Kansas City’s top running back Isiah Pacheco was also sidelined due to a shoulder injury. 

This article first appeared on FanNation Patriot Maven and was syndicated with permission.

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