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By Ellis Williams
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The Kansas City Chiefs tried a different answer to their short-yardage struggles Sunday, sending backup quarterback Justin Fields onto the field in place of starter Patrick Mahomes.
The change gave the New York Jets an early takeaway.
Kansas City recovered to beat New York 35-12 at Arrowhead Stadium.
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Fields lost a fumble on third-and-1 from Kansas City’s 34-yard line during the Chiefs’ opening possession. He had trouble securing the snap before attempting to push forward, and Jets linebacker Demario Davis recovered the loose ball.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn challenged the initial down-by-contact ruling, and replay reversed the call with 5:40 remaining in the first quarter. New York converted the turnover into a 48-yard field goal by kicker Jason Sanders for a 6-0 lead.
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It was Kansas City’s first quarterback sneak since Week 6 of the 2023 season, according to Yahoo Sports. Chiefs tight end Noah Gray took that previous snap on a fake field goal against the Denver Broncos.
The decision followed renewed scrutiny of Kansas City’s short-yardage offense after its 28-24 loss to Denver the previous Sunday. The Chiefs failed to score near the goal line on their final possession, prompting questions about why they had not tried a sneak.
Mahomes addressed that possibility during Wednesday’s news conference.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to win,” Mahomes said. “... It’s not like I’m scared to go out there and put my body on the line.”
Mahomes explained that the Chiefs have included sneaks in game plans, with the option to change the call based on the defensive front. He said head coach Andy Reid had not barred him from using the play and would make changes when needed.
Kansas City took a 14-12 lead into halftime and then held New York scoreless after the break. The Chiefs scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to pull away.
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