In the NFL’s opening trip to Germany this season, the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs prevailed 21-14 despite a furious comeback by the Miami Dolphins in the second half.
The Chiefs jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half thanks to two touchdown passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but they had to hold on for the victory after Miami scored twice in the third quarter.
This was the first of two games that would be played in Frankfurt between two of the strongest clubs in the league, each with a record of six victories and two losses.
After the NFL’s hugely successful regular season game in Munich last year, the league approved two games this season. The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots will play at Deutsche Bank Park the following weekend.
To begin with, Germany played in one of the greatest games of the season, pitting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of Miami and the league’s finest offense against Mahomes, one of the top MVP candidates.
In one of the best defensive performances of the season, Bryan Cook recovered a fumble from former Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill for a third touchdown after Mahomes had already scored scores to Rashee Rice and Jerick McKinnon.
After Hill fumbled, Mike Edwards recovered the lost ball, but he didn’t hesitate to transfer the ball to Cook, who raced down the right sideline to give the Chiefs complete control.
For the first time in more than two years, Miami was shut out in the first half. However, the Marlins responded, cutting the lead to seven with touchdown passes from Tagovailoa to Cedric Wilson and Raheem Mostert, who ran in from 13 yards.
With just over a minute remaining, Tagovailoa fumbled a fourth-down snap at the Kansas City 31-yard line, giving the defending champs the opportunity to win and leave Germany ahead of Miami. Miami lost the chance to tie or even win the gamevNext week is a bye week for both teams, after which the Chiefs will play a crucial Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s possible that the annual NFL game won’t take place in the country. Two of the top teams in the league will square off in the first NFL game played in Germany in 2023. The Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs will square off to see who is the best team in the AFC.
The Chiefs are more focused on winning going into the game. The Denver Broncos just pulled off an unexpected upset against Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback, was not himself in this game; he threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns. Mahomes’ difficulties could have been explained by his reported sickness.
In Week 9, he will have to score against a formidable Dolphins offense. Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa appear to be
