The Cincinnati Bengals had a tough opponent in the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

But they gave Patrick Mahomes one last chance. And as he usually does, Mahomes led the Chiefs on a winning drive to secure a 26-25 thriller over the Bengals.

Mahomes overcame two interceptions to lead the Chiefs to the winning field goal, aided by a fourth-and-16 conversion. The Bengals were flagged for pass interference on a downfield throw with 38 seconds left to keep the Chiefs’ drive alive and set up Harrison Butker for a 51-yard field goal. Butker sent the ball through the uprights as time expired to secure the victory.

The final change of lead was the fifth in a thrilling second half.

Late pass interference gives Chiefs win

The Bengals had a chance to decide the game on offense after forcing a punt with 6:57 left. But the Chiefs came up with a third-down sack by Burrow with 2:46 left to force the Bengals to punt.

Cincinnati then forced Kansas City into a fourth-and-6 on the ensuing Chiefs possession. Mahomes found Rashee Rice for a first down, but an illegal hands-to-the-face penalty wiped out the gain and sent the Chiefs into a fourth-and-16.

On Kansas City’s last gasp, Mahomes ran and passed deep downfield aimed at Rice again. Rice didn’t catch the ball this time, but rookie safety Daijahn Anthony made early contact on defense and was flagged for pass interference.

The penalty gave the Chiefs 29 yards and another set of downs at the Cincinnati 36-yard line with 38 seconds left. Four plays and 4 yards later, Butker converted the field goal.

With the win, the Chiefs improved their mark to 2-0 as they pursue a three-peat following a Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens. They have now defeated two of their expected top challengers in the AFC.

Tough loss for the 0-2 Bengals, who led for most of the game

It was a tough loss for the Bengals, dropping them to 0-2 after blowing a final-quarter lead against the reigning Super Bowl champions. They were much better than last week’s stunning loss at home to the New England Patriots. But they weren’t good enough to hold on to the win.

Cincinnati scored first with a field goal in the first quarter and didn’t trail until the Chiefs scored a touchdown in the third quarter to take a 17-16 lead. The Bengals countered with a 70-yard touchdown drive that ended with Burrows’ second touchdown pass of the day to sophomore receiver Andrei Iosivas.

Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt then made one of the best plays of the young NFL season with a stunning one-handed interception of Mahomes, giving the Bengals a 22-17 lead with 2:16 left in the third quarter.

The interception was Mahomes’ second of the day, but the Bengals couldn’t capitalize on it.

Burrow’s fumble changes momentum

Three plays later, the Chiefs tackled Burrow as he struggled on third-and-10. Burrow fumbled and cornerback Chamarri Conner picked up the ball for a 38-yard touchdown return, giving the Chiefs a 23-22 lead.

Kansas City’s 2-point conversion failed, but the Chiefs regained the lead thanks to their game-changing play.

Chase’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty halts Bengals drive

The Bengals responded with a 33-yard field-goal drive to regain the lead, 25-23 on a 53-yard Evan McPherson kick. The drive was hampered by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for confronting an official to dispute a call.

The penalty put Cincinnati on third-and-22 instead of third-and-7. The Bengals were denied a first down and settled for the field goal.

It wasn’t enough to hold on to the victory.

Burrow appears to have improved from week 1

If there’s a silver lining for the Bengals, it’s that Burrow looked better after his Week 1 outing raised concerns that he hasn’t yet recovered from offseason wrist surgery. Burrow completed 23 of 36 passes for 258 yards (7.2 yards per attempt) with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

In the second half he had no trouble with a deep ball from 50 yards to Jermaine Burton.

The Bengals outgained the Chiefs by 320 yards to 286. Their offense looked significantly better than last week, when they scored 10 points against New England.

But questions will continue to swirl around Chase, who was limited in preseason workouts after sitting out training camp for a contract extension he didn’t receive. Chase’s unsportsmanlike penalty in the second half was potentially costly for Cincinnati. He finished the game with four catches and 35 yards.

The Bengals will look to get back on track with upcoming games against the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers, who are off to a combined 1-3 start. The Chiefs have a Week 3 road game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night.