KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs opened the season with three straight games that came down to the final minute.

Two of them reached the final.

They could easily have gone winless in defense of their last Super Bowl title. But their uncanny ability to win games that are close down the stretch — thanks to the ingenuity of Andy Reid on the sidelines, Patrick Mahomes at center, or a combination of factors — has instead allowed them to get off to a 3-0 start and reclaim control of the AFC West.

“Listen, I don’t think you get used to it,” Reid mused Monday, less than 24 hours after Nick Bolton stopped Falcons running back Bijan Robinson on fourth down with 56 seconds left Sunday night. preserved the Chiefs’ 22-17 victory in Atlanta.

“You don’t want it to come down to that. You’re trying to score as many points as you can. But that’s the way it goes,” Reid said. “The trust that the guys have in each other — I know that’s easy to say, but when you really have that, the guys know something good is going to happen. That’s going to be really important.”

Especially when the games really matter.

The Chiefs were just 4-4 in games decided by a touchdown or less during the 2023 regular season, but they were 3-0 when their three playoff games were decided by that margin. That included the 25-22 overtime win over San Francisco that gave the Chiefs their second straight Lombardi Trophy and the chance to win an unprecedented third straight this year.

Incidentally, the Chiefs’ three playoff victories the year before were also all decided by a touchdown or less. That included the 38-35 win over the Eagles that gave Reid and Mahomes their second Super Bowl rings.

“We didn’t play well. I mean, really, all three games,” Mahomes said after Sunday night’s win over the Falcons. “We were able to win. That speaks to the character of the team, the determination, how we’ve been in these situations.”

What works?

The Chiefs have been able to stop the opposition with run games. The Ravens’ Derrick Henry had 46 yards on 13 carries, the Bengals’ Zack Moss ran 12 times for 34 yards and Robinson carried 16 times for 31 yards on Sunday.

“I started naming the guys, but it’s all of them, collectively. That whole front seven has been good,” Reid said. “The safeties have been accurate with our tackles there, and physical, which has been good.”

What needs to be done?

The Chiefs have struggled to cover tight ends in their first three games, and it was Kyle Pitts who hurt them Sunday night. He had a 50-yard catch to set up the Falcons’ opening touchdown and finished with two grabs for 59 yards.

Replenish stock

Rashee Rice has become Mahomes’ go-to option, much like Travis Kelce has been for years. He had 12 catches for 110 yards and a score against Atlanta, giving him 24 catches for 288 yards and two TDs through the first three games.

Stock down

Kelce had another drop against the Falcons, finishing with four catches for 30 yards. He has just eight catches for 69 yards on the season, though the attention defenses have paid to him has helped Rice and others get open in the passing game.

“They’re working hard to get Kelce out of the picture,” Reid said, “and Kelce’s thinking, ‘Hey, listen, if they’re going to do that, Rashee’s going to catch a lot.’ Somewhere along the line, that’s leveling off.”

Injuries

The Chiefs entered the game against Atlanta without any notable injuries.

Key number

131 — That’s Reid’s win total in Kansas City, surpassing his Philadelphia-era total. It took him just 182 games to reach that total with the Chiefs; it took him 224 games to reach 130 wins with the Eagles.

Next steps

The Chiefs play the first of two games against the Chargers in Los Angeles on Sunday. Kansas City has won the last five games and eight of the last 10 between the old AFC West rivals.

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