Chiefs Spurn Sure Tie, Knock Out Jets, 38-34

Needing a field goal to tie, Kansas City Coach Frank Gansz kept the NFL’s surest kicker on the sidelines and decided to go for the win.

After all, the Chiefs were already eliminated from postseason play, and were just 1 yard away from a touchdown.

Rookie James Saxon got the call on fourth down with 2 seconds left and scored to give the Chiefs a 38-34 victory over the New York Jets and eliminate the Jets from playoff contention.

“We were down there and I just wanted to go for the win,” said Gansz after electing not to force an overtime by having Nick Lowery kick a field goal. “I have always told them, when you have an opportunity, seize it and it will multiply. They deserved to win. They’ve battled, they’ve fought, they’ve worked hard.”

Said Saxon, who followed the block of fullback Christian Okoye into the end zone: “He (Okoye) did a great job. He just bulled me into the end zone. I rode in on his back. It’s pretty hard to stop a 253-pound guy from getting 1 yard.”

The winning score came after cornerback Bobby Humphrey was called for pass interference on Emile Harry in the end zone.

“I’d like to have seen some (penalties) called on them as well,” New York Coach Joe Walton said. “(It was) a little bit one-sided. We didn’t play well defensively.”

Steve DeBerg threw 3 touchdown passes for Kansas City (4-9-1), which played the Jets to a 17-17 tie earlier this year. Kansas City was hurt by two fumbled kickoffs by Paul Palmer, playing after sitting out a 1-game suspension for joking on a team bus that he might intentionally fumble to get traded.

Pat Ryan threw for 2 touchdowns and Johnny Hector ran for 2 more for the Jets (6-7-1). Hector ran for touchdowns of 6 and 1 yards in the second half for the Jets, who rallied from 14-0 and 21-10 deficits.

Steve DeBerg completed 16 of 25 passes for 267 yards and an interception for Kansas City. Pat Ryan passed for 198 yards, completing 13 of 25 passes.