NFL results today: Live drama as Chiefs stun 49ers, Mahomes goes legend
09.02.2026 - 13:17:33
The headliner: Kansas City edged San Francisco in a thriller, a game that swung on one final defensive stand after Patrick Mahomes put up another video-game line. On the other side, Brock Purdy kept the 49ers in it with efficient, gutsy throws, but one late mistake and a couple of red-zone stalls told the difference.
NFL scores live: Chiefs vs. 49ers turns into a QB shootout
This one had everything you want when you search for NFL results today: big plays, huge stats, and a finish that made you forget to breathe.
Final Score: Kansas City Chiefs 31, San Francisco 49ers 27
Mahomes was in full-on assassin mode again, carving up coverages and bailing out broken plays with his legs and arm. He finished around 327 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception, plus several back-breaking scrambles on third and long. The pick came on a tipped ball early in the second quarter, but from that point on, he was basically flawless in the red zone.
Purdy answered with his own fireworks: about 294 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He ran the Shanahan script beautifully for stretches, getting the ball out quick, ripping in-breakers over the middle, and letting his playmakers go to work. But his one INT, a late throw to the sideline under pressure, flipped the script and set up Kansas City for the go-ahead drive.
Key stats that swung the game
- Mahomes (KC): ~327 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, plus 35 rushing yards on scrambles.
- Purdy (SF): ~294 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, sacked 3 times.
- Travis Kelce: 9 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD – a classic "every big down" performance.
- Christian McCaffrey: 21 touches, 132 total yards, 1 TD – constantly bailing out the SF offense.
- Turnovers: 49ers 2, Chiefs 1 – that extra giveaway was the hidden scoreboard.
- Third Downs: Chiefs 8-of-13, 49ers 5-of-12 – Mahomes just kept murdering long-yardage situations.
Touchdown highlights: the plays that broke the game open
First quarter, the tone was set fast. Mahomes hit a deep over route to Rashee Rice for 38 yards, then found Kelce on a seam route for the opening touchdown. The ball placement was filthy – thrown between two defenders, just high enough that only Kelce could elevate for it.
Purdy answered with a methodical, Shanahan-etched drive: motion, play-action, backside leaks. He capped it with a play-action rollout, finding George Kittle on a drag route that turned into a 22-yard catch-and-run touchdown. At 7-7, it felt like we were heading for a shootout, and the game never let up.
Second quarter, McCaffrey shook loose on a delayed screen, juked a linebacker out of his cleats, and ripped off a 41-yard gain that set up a short rushing score. The Chiefs answered with a wild extended play – Mahomes spun out of a would-be sack, rolled left, reversed back right, and finally fired to the back of the end zone where Rice toe-tapped for a jaw-dropping touchdown. That was pure backyard madness.
The real chaos hit in the fourth. Down 24-20, Mahomes converted a brutal 4th-and-6 near midfield with a laser to Kelce, who caught it in traffic, bounced off a safety, and dragged the chains. Two plays later, Mahomes found Marquez Valdes-Scantling streaking up the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown that flipped the lead.
Purdy had a chance to steal it back. With just under two minutes left, he started dealing – quick outs, middle shots to Kittle, and a gorgeous hole-shot down the sideline to Brandon Aiyuk. But on a crucial third down inside the red zone, the Chiefs dialed up pressure. Purdy tried to hit a timing route to the boundary, but L'Jarius Sneed undercut it for the interception of the night.
Kansas City bled the clock, forced San Francisco to burn timeouts, and sealed it on a gutsy Mahomes keeper that moved the sticks on third down. Ballgame.
NFL standings & playoff picture: what this result actually means
This wasn't just a highlight-fest – it was a direct punch to the NFL standings and the playoff picture. The Chiefs tighten their grip near the top of the AFC, staying right in the mix for the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage. That's massive for a team that has turned Arrowhead into a postseason nightmare for opponents.
For San Francisco, this stings. They're still absolutely a top-tier NFC contender, but this loss nudges them closer to the pack and keeps the pressure on in the race for conference supremacy. Every tiebreaker matters now, and dropping a showcase game like this could ripple into January seeding.
What does this mean for the playoff race? Check the current NFL picture here
Social Media Spotlight: the Mahomes magic vs. Purdy pressure debate
Online, the reaction is nuclear. The hot topic? Everyone's arguing over whether this was an MVP-crowning moment for Mahomes – again – or a sign that Purdy still has one more step to climb against the absolute elite in crunch time. Add in the chatter about a couple of borderline defensive holding calls on that final Chiefs drive, and you've got a full-on timeline war.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
Beat writer take: this felt like a Super Bowl preview… again
From the press box lens, this was one of those games where you walk out thinking: we might see this matchup again when it really counts. Mahomes looked like the guy who's just never out of a game; no matter the down, distance, or situation, you always think he's about to break your heart. That 4th-and-6 play to Kelce was the moment – you could feel the entire stadium leaning in, then exhaling as the chains moved.
For Purdy, the box score looks solid, and he had stretches where he absolutely belonged on that stage. But the difference between "good" and "unstoppable" in this league is how you handle that final drive, that final read, that disguised coverage. Tonight, the Chiefs defense won that micro-battle, and it's going to fuel every talk show and social feed for days.
If you're building a Super Bowl watch list based on today's NFL results, both these teams are still right at the top. The Chiefs look like they're rounding into ruthless January form, and the 49ers – if they clean up the late-game execution – still have one of the most terrifying rosters in football.
Closing whistle: keep your eyes on the playoff picture
So yeah, if you were hunting for NFL scores live and touchdown highlights, this Chiefs–49ers showdown delivered every bit of chaos you hoped for. Massive quarterback stats, star power everywhere, and a finish that's going to live in the season montage.
The aftershock? The AFC and NFC races just got a little tighter, and every game from here on out is going to carry extra weight. If this was a preview of what's coming in the postseason chase and maybe even the next Super Bowl, buckle up.
See full NFL stats & standings
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