Sept. 23 (UPI) — Linebacker Nick Bolton burst through a hole and stopped Bijan Robinson in the backfield on fourth down, stopping an Atlanta Falcons drive in the red zone and sealing a 3-0 comeback win for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bolton’s key stop came with just 51 seconds left in Sunday’s 22-17 win at Atlanta. The fourth-year defenseman made eight total tackles, three for loss. The Chiefs trailed 14-7 midway through the second quarter but scored 15 straight points to wrest momentum from the Falcons’ clutches.

“Coach made a great call,” Bolton told reporters. “He put the big defenders out there. Those guys went vertical and I just shot my gun.”

The Chiefs, who didn’t lead until the second half, outscored the Falcons 345-311 in total yards, including 128-82 in rushing. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 26 of 39 passes for 217 yards, two scores and an interception. Wide receiver Rashee Rice caught a career-high 12 passes for 110 yards and a score.

“We didn’t play well, actually in all three games,” Mahomes said of the Chiefs. “We were able to win. That speaks to the character of the team, the determination and how we’ve been in these situations.”

The Chiefs held Robinson to just 31 yards on 16 carries (1.9 yards per attempt). Quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​completed 20 of 29 passes for 230 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Falcons.

“Disappointing night,” Cousins ​​said. “You feel like you snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, that’s kind of what it felt like.”

Cousins ​​connected with wide receiver Drake London for a 14-yard score on the game’s first drive, giving the Falcons the early advantage. The Chiefs tied the game when Mahomes threw a 13-yard touchdown toss to Rice 3:15 into the second quarter.

Robinson ended the next drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Kicker Harrison Butker ended the Chiefs’ next two drives with field goals, making the score 14-13 at halftime.

Butker then hit a 21-yard fumble on the first drive of the second half to give the Chiefs their first advantage. Mahomes extended the Chiefs’ lead with a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster later in the third quarter for a 22-14 Chiefs lead.

Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo made a 54-yard field goal 2:09 into the fourth quarter for the game’s final points. The Falcons then forced the Chiefs to punt, but their offense failed to capitalize on a fourth-down opportunity with 4:04 left. The Chiefs then punted again, giving the Falcons one final chance to recover.

Cousins ​​marched the offense to the 16-yard line. He then handed the ball to Robinson on a 4th-and-1 play, but Bolton ripped through the offensive line and met Robinson in the backfield to secure the win.

“I was proud of our defense and how they stepped up in the third and fourth quarter and the second half,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “They really did a good job.”

The Chiefs (3-0) will take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. EDT in Inglewood, Calif. The Falcons (1-2) will host the New Orleans Saints (2-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.