Buccaneers at Chiefs: Highlights, score and recap

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers snuck into Arrowhead and earned a signature win for Jameis Winston over the hapless Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs came into their matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in first place in the AFC West. After winning five straight games, the Chiefs a big favorite to win once again on Sunday, but the Bucs had other ideas. Tampa Bay went into Arrowhead and pulled out an improbable victory against the Chiefs, as they continue their good play as of late.

The teams traded field goals for most of the game, as Bucs kicker Robert Aguayo looked every bit worth the second round selection they took him in. The rookie kicked field goals of 31, 22, 41, and 36 yards, while connecting on his only point after attempt. PATs are beginning to be harder than regular football, so a perfect day kicking is a rarity nowadays.

Kansas City was able to pull out an incredible victory last week, and it looked like they may do the same on Sunday. The Chiefs scored 17 points against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, erasing a 17-3 deficit in the final frame. On Sunday, Alex Smith hit Albert Wilson with under four minutes left in the game to bring the score to 19-17, but the Bucs were able to hang on for the victory.

The Chiefs will now have to wait until Monday night to see if they are still in first place in the division. The Oakland Raiders will play the Houston Texans in Mexico City, and with a win, would leapfrog over the Chiefs for the top spot in the AFC West. Quietly, the Tampa Bay Bucs have played themselves back into the playoff picture, and they have looked like a complete team as of late.

1. Jameis Winston

The second-year signal-caller continues to progress, and now has to be considered one of the better quarterbacks in the NFC. Jameis Winston made some big plays during the team’s victory on Sunday, and like we predicted, he threw for a ton of yards against a banged up Kansas City secondary. The Bucs got the CHiefs at the right time, and Winston was able to exploit them for over 300 yards passing.

There has not been much running game to speak of the last few weeks, but that has not stopped Winston from putting together back-to-back 300 yard efforts. The Buccaneers made him the first overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft, and he has paid good dividends since then. He has developed into a leader of the team, and based on his performance the last few weeks, should be able to turn the Bucs franchise around.

2. Robert Aguayo

Incredibly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded up  to get Aguayo in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, spending a crucial draft pick on a kicker. In today’s NFL, where kickers struggle to even make extra points, it is starting to look like a good move. Aguayo struggled mightily during the first few games of his NFL career, but he is starting to look like quite the asset for the Bucs.

On Sunday, Aguayo did most of the scoring for Tampa Bay, connecting on four field goals in the team’s 19-17 victory. He was a perfect 4-for-4 on the day, and also hit his only extra point attempt. The 22-year old has missed only one field goal in his last five games, and has converted 12 of his last 13 extra point attempts.

3. Travis Kelce

There were not many bright spots for the Chiefs on Sunday, who have looked very mediocre the past two weeks. One constant for the team has been Travis Kelce, who once again put up big numbers against the Bucs. The big tight end led the team with seven receptions, while being the only player in a Chiefs uniform to go over 100 yards in the game.

With Jeremy Maclin out, the team needed a big game from Kelce, and he delivered. Though he failed to reach the end zone, he caught nearly 30 percent of Alex Smith’s completions, as he showed why he is considered one of the better tight ends in the league. The team needs a bit more than just Kelce if they want to go deep in the playoffs, but he proved on Sunday he can lead the team if need be.

Next: Every NFL Team's Best Draft Pick of All-Time

Odds

The Kansas City Chiefs are heavy favorites at home this week, as the number is currently set at seven points. The line opened up at 7.5, but the loss of Maclin and the potential loss of Peters likely played a role in the line moving up a half of a point. The over/under has stayed at 44.5 since it opened.

Next Week

The Chiefs will take on the Denver Broncos on the road in a Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 12. Tampa Bay will head home to take on Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks.