Chiefs Can Grin and Bar It in the End

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Although Adam Vinatieri missed the field-goal attempt, holder Lee Johnson also accepted the blame.

Regardless of who was at fault, Vinatieri’s 32-yard attempt in the closing seconds hit the right upright and bounced backward, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to escape with a 16-14 victory over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots on Sunday.

“I could probably go out there and hit a hundred in a row right now. I just didn’t hit one when I needed to,” said Vinatieri, who had already kicked three game-deciding field goals this year for the Patriots (4-1).

At that point, Johnson leaned into the crowd of reporters.

“I got the ball caught on my thumb and I couldn’t get the laces around,” he said. “The laces [were] on the right side of the ball, and when that happens the kick usually goes wide right. Knowing Adam, he should hit that, but I just wanted everybody to know the hold was not up to my satisfaction.”

The emotionally exhausted Chiefs (3-2) didn’t care who took the blame.

“When I saw the ball hit the upright and kick back onto the field, the feeling was hard to describe,” said safety Reggie Tongue. “ We finally got a break to go our way.”

Drew Bledsoe, after failing to complete nine passes in a row, regrouped to connect on nine of his last 11, including an eight-yard touchdown to Shawn Jefferson with 2:43 left that cut the Patriots’ deficit to two points.

The Chiefs then had to punt, giving the Patriots the ball on their 33 with 30 seconds to go. Bledsoe’s 27-yard completion to Jefferson set up the failed field- goal attempt by Vinatieri with four seconds left.