The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs 2018 Monday Night Football matchup won the 2019 ESPY Award for ‘Best Game’ at the annual ceremony on Wednesday night.
Two of the new NFL powerhouses met in Nov. 2018 for one of the most anticipated games of the season featuring the tow highest-scoring offenses, and it did not disappoint.
It was originally scheduled to be played in Mexico City but was moved less than a week before kick-off due to poor field conditions. The Rams being the home team led to the game to be relocated back to the Coliseum in Los Angeles.
That made it more meaningful considering it came at a time where all of California was coming together in the midst of deadly wildfires. The Rams offered free tickets to all first responders, and quarterbacks Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes made a point to commend them in their acceptance speech.
Through the first 10 games, both teams earned a 9-1 record, so the matchup served as a tiebreaker of sorts. The Chiefs won the coin toss and allowed the Rams to receive the kick-off, although that might have been a mistake as the Rams scored just four minutes into the game.
The Rams and Chiefs traded touchdowns back and forth for most of the night, with Los Angeles maintaining a lead most of the way. Kansas City jumped out in front, 51-47, 2:47 left though, setting the stage for the game-winning drive by Goff. In just six plays taking under one minute, Goff drove his team down the field and delivered a 40-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gerald Everett with just 1:49 remaining.
Kansas City had more than enough time to get within field goal range to force the game to an overtime period. After making it just across the 50 yard-line, Mahomes threw a pass that was intercepted by former Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters. With the ball back with the Rams, the Chiefs used their timeouts to keep the Rams at bay.
Mahomes wound up getting the ball back the back with just over a minute left. However, the Rams prevailed after another interception thrown to finish off the 54-51 victory.
The 105 combined points was the third-highest scoring game in NFL history, and the Chiefs became the first team to ever score 50 or more points and still lose a game.
While it was an exciting contest on the field, Rams fans will always remember the Monday night win over the Chiefs for uniting a community in need, and for that reason, it will be remembered for many years to come.
