KANSAS CITY, Mo. — — Harrison Butker continued to make a lone walk to midfield after each quarter Sunday to check the wind direction, which tends to swirl around Arrowhead Stadium. He did it one last time during the 2-minute warning, when his Chiefs trailed the Bengals by two points and tried to give him a game-winning field goal.

When Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the offense did just that, aided by a pass interference call on Cincinnati safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth down in the final minute, Butker took the field once again as Chiefs fans erupted in cheers.

He rarely misses. And they didn’t expect that this time either.

With preternatural composure, Butker fired in the 51-yarder as time expired, giving Kansas City the 26-25 victory.

“I try to block it out,” Butker said of the crowd noise. “It’s hard not to enjoy it, but I try to block it out. What I don’t like is when you run out on the field and everyone’s clapping, and I’m thinking, ‘The game’s not over yet. I’ve got to make this kick.'”

Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was his incomplete pass intended for Rashee Rice on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35 that proved decisive. Anthony arrived a split-second early and body-shod Rice from behind, and the flags flew with 38 seconds left to keep the Chiefs alive.

The penalty came just after Kansas City had a long lead on fourth down, only to have it negated by a penalty of its own.

The pass interference call put the Chiefs on the Cincinnati 36-yard line, where they ran a few more plays to kill time for the big Butker. Butker turned and walked off the field before his kick went through the uprights.

“You know, it’s one of those plays that we can capitalize on at some point this season. That’s what I’ve told the guys,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said of the pass interference call. “They call it what they see. I thought they called it a very fair play, and they saw it as a penalty. So they called it a penalty.”

Joe Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, both to Andrei Iosivas, as the Bengals (0-2) suffered their third straight loss to one of their biggest foes. That includes a loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game.

Chamarri Conner returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown for the Chiefs, and big offensive tackle Wanya Morris — who took the penalty that nearly killed them in the final minute — had a touchdown reception on a day full of bizarre plays.

It was Kansas City’s second win that came in the final game, following a 27-20 victory over Baltimore on opening night.

“Those are two great football games we’ve played the last two weeks, teams we played in the AFC championship game,” Mahomes said. “We’re going to clean up the mistakes, especially on offense. It starts with me. And we’re going to be a better team for it.”

The Chiefs struggled in their first game with Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who had nine catches for 111 yards and a score. And with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins out with an ailing hamstring, Burrow relied heavily on his own tight ends — Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki and rookie Erick All Jr. — to move an offense that never got going last week against New England.

Sample and Gesicki accounted for most of the yardage on an opening drive that produced a field goal. Minutes later, after Mahomes was picked off by Akeem Davis-Gaither, All’s catch helped set up Iosivas’ touchdown reception.

Mahomes eventually made up for the interception when he found Rice over the outstretched fingers of Cam Taylor-Britt for a 44-yard tying touchdown pass. But otherwise, Andy Reid’s high-powered offense remained in neutral and trailed 16-10 at the break.

All this and the associated antics had only just begun.

The Chiefs took the lead early in the second half when Mahomes threw a pass to his 310-pound tackle-eligible Morris for a touchdown. The Bengals answered on fourth-and-goal when Burrow connected with Iosivas for a second time, but Burrow was stripped a few minutes later and Conner returned the fumble 37 yards for another touchdown.

Evan McPherson’s fourth-down field goal gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 left, and their defense gave them the ball back. But the Chiefs forced a run with 2:59 left, giving Mahomes and Co. a chance to decide the game.

Unsportsmanlike conduct

Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was assessed unsportsmanlike conduct in the fourth quarter. Chase was stopped in front of the first-down marker on second-and-11, and he appeared angry that no flag was thrown for a hip-drop tackle. He got in the face of referee Alex Kemp, who threw the flag. It forced a third-and-22 at the Chiefs 45, and after a completion to Gesicki that was returned 10 yards, McPherson kicked the field goal that gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead.

“It’s pretty clear. It’s just abusive language towards a match official,” Kemp said. “I’m not going to repeat what he said, but there was no interpretation of the language he used. It was just abusive language.”

Chase refused to discuss the penalty in the locker room after the game, saying only, “It doesn’t feel good to lose.”

“It’s okay to be emotional,” Taylor said. “I can’t see everything that’s said or done, so it’s better that I don’t comment on it.”

Injuries

Bengals: DT BJ Hill (hamstring) left in the second quarter. DT Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) left in the fourth quarter.

Chiefs: RB Isiah Pacheco left in the final minute and was seen in a running boot and crutches as he left the stadium. Reid did not provide details other than to say he would undergo tests Monday.

Next

Cincinnati plays Washington on September 23.

On Sunday evening, Kansas City leaves for Atlanta.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl