Kyle Phillips snagged an interception with one minute left in regulation to set up Blake Grupe’s game-winning 31-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the New Orleans Saints over the visiting Kansas City Chiefs 26-24 in a preseason game on Sunday afternoon.
The Chiefs trailed 17-7 at halftime, but Shane Buechele completed touchdown passes to Justyn Ross and Kekoa Crawford during the third quarter to put Kansas City ahead.
It was 24-17 until Saints rookie quarterback Jake Haener found Ellis Merriweather for a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:20 remaining in the game. New Orleans failed to score on a 2-point conversion.
But Chiefs QB Chris Oladokun tried a screen past left and Phillips, a defensive lineman, tipped it down to himself to give the Saints the ball in field-goal range.
Patrick Mahomes and Derek Carr each started and played one drive for their respective teams. The Saints started with the ball, and Carr led his new team on a 12-play, 80-yard drive punctuated by a 4-yard touchdown to Keith Kirkwood. Mahomes went 2-for-2 passing for 15 yards.
Raiders 34, 49ers 7
Rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw for 141 yards and a touchdown as host Las Vegas broke away from a tie just before halftime to blow out San Francisco.
O’Connell played the first three quarters and went 15-of-18 passing. His 9-yard pass to Keelan Cole Sr. with 34 seconds left in the second quarter put the Raiders ahead 14-7.
Running back Sincere McCormick scored two touchdowns in the second half. His 2-yard run expanded the Raiders’ lead to 24-7 late in the third quarter, and after Daniel Carlson’s second field goal of the game, McCormick caught a 2-yard pass from Chase Garbers to close the scoring.
Quarterback Trey Lance played the first half for the 49ers and completed 10 of 15 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen followed, each going 5-of-8 passing, with Allen intercepted once. San Francisco’s lone score came on Lance’s 9-yard toss to Ross Dwelley. It tied the game at 7-7 with 8:29 left in the second quarter.
–Field Level Media
