The night got off to an inauspicious start for the Buccaneers when Rachaad White fumbled the opening kickoff. It did not get any better.
The Bucs trailed 7-0 only 46 seconds into Sunday Night Football and trailed by as many as 18 in the first half before losing 41-31.
The Chiefs improved to 3-1, while the Bucs fell to 2-2 and into a first-place tie with the Falcons in the NFC South.
Tampa Bay began the night ranked fourth in yards allowed and first in points allowed. Yet, the Bucs were no match for the Chiefs offense. The Chiefs scored more points in the first half (28) than the Bucs gave up their first three games (27).
Kansas City beat up on Tampa Bay from start to finish, scoring on seven of 10 possessions not counting the one play to end the first half. The Chiefs gained 417 yards, 27 first downs and went 12-of-17 on third down.
Patrick Mahomes’ fourth-down pass to a wide-open Clyde Edwards-Helaire bounced off the running back’s hands in the first half to stop one drive, and Mahomes threw an interception to Sean Murphy-Bunting with 4:42 remaining. The Chiefs’ only punt came with 52 seconds left.
Mahomes went 23-of-37 for 249 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Edwards-Helaire had 19 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 2 yards and a touchdown. Travis Kelce had nine receptions for 92 yards.
Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed had a team-leading nine tackles and the only sack of Tom Brady, which forced a fumble.
The Bucs gained 376 yards, including only three rushing yards on six attempts, but proved their own worst enemy.
Brady completed 39 of 52 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns, and Mike Evans caught eight passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns.