The Kansas City Chiefs lost the second preseason game of the 2026 campaign with a 16-15 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Starting quarterback Justin Fields completed nine of 12 passes for 64 yards, but was sacked twice, including a strip sack. Running backs Brashard Smith and Emmett Johnson combined for 62 yards over 13 carries, including the team’s first touchdown of the preseason by Johnson. Chiefs pass catchers were led by wide receiver Jalen Royals, who caught six passes for 51 yards.
On defense, defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, defensive tackle Amari McNeill and safety Jaden Hicks each earned a sack. Rookie safety DeShon Singleton led the team with seven total tackles.
First QuarterThe Chiefs opened the game with Justin Fields under center. Two quick handoffs to Kenneth Walker gained just four yards before a short completion to Cyrus Allen resulted in a quick three-and-out.
Tampa Bay came out run-heavy on its opening possession and picked up one first down before an unnecessary roughness penalty put the Buccaneers behind the sticks. Kansas City got the stop on third-and-long to force a punt.
The Chiefs’ second possession featured short completions to Jalen Royals and Tyquan Thornton, but an incompletion on third-and-4 ended another three-and-out. Fields faced pressure on all three of his dropbacks.
Kansas City’s defense responded with a three-and-out of its own. Jeffrey Bassa had tight coverage on first down, rookie Mansoor Delane disrupted a wide receiver screen on second down and R. Mason Thomas blew up a screen on third-and-long to force another punt.
The Chiefs finally picked up their first, first down of the game on their third possession behind a strong run and third-down catch from Emari Demercado. The drive stalled when Fields was sacked by linebacker Anthony Nelson on third-and-short, forcing another punt.
The Chiefs’ defense continued its strong start as Felix Anudike-Uzomah recorded a sack on second down before generating pressure again on third down to force another Tampa Bay three-and-out.
Second QuarterThe Chiefs’ offense finally found some rhythm to open the second quarter. Fields connected with Jalen Royals for 9 yards, Armstrong for 14 and Jake Briningstool for 15, while adding a 15-yard scramble to set up first-and-goal. The drive stalled after Fields took a 20-yard sack on third down, but Harrison Butker connected on a 45-yard field goal to give Kansas City a 3-0 lead.
Tampa Bay quickly picked up a first down on a 16-yard completion from Jake Browning to Josh Williams, but a pair of false start penalties put the Buccaneers behind the sticks and eventually forced a punt.
Garrett Nussmeier took over at quarterback and immediately got the offense moving. He connected with Jared Wiley for 11 yards, Briningstool for a first down and Royals for gains of 12 and 7 yards before another first-down completion to Emmett Johnson. The drive eventually stalled, but Butker drilled a 58-yard field goal to extend the Chiefs’ lead to 6-0.
The Buccaneers opened their next possession with an 11-yard completion to Kameron Johnson. On the following play, safety Jaden Hicks came free on a blitz, sacking Browning and forcing a fumble. Tampa Bay recovered but remained behind the sticks before eventually failing on fourth-and-5.
With three seconds remaining in the half, Kansas City sent Butker out for a 69-yard field goal attempt. Butker drilled it down the middle to send the Chiefs into halftime with a 9-0 lead.
Third QuarterThird Quarter
Browning opened the second half with a couple of nice completions, including a 22-yard pass to Johnson. The Chiefs’ defense settled in from there, with Amari McNeill recording a sack on third down to force a punt.
Kansas City’s offense managed just one yard on its opening possession of the half before quickly punting the ball back to Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers came out firing on their second possession, with Jalon Daniels connecting with Deangelo Patterson for 24 yards before adding a 10-yard run to move into the red zone. Four plays later, Daniels found Ko Kieft for a 2-yard touchdown, cutting the Chiefs’ lead to 9-7.
Kansas City answered with a productive drive of its own. Nussmeier connected with Jalen Royals for 17 yards before a pass interference penalty on third down helped move the Chiefs into the red zone. Emmett Johnson finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, extending Kansas City’s lead to 15-7.
Fourth QuarterOn a drive that began late in the third quarter, the Buccaneers effectively moved the ball with a mix of runs and passes. The drive stalled at the Chiefs’ 28-yard line, and Porter connected on a 46-yard field goal to cut Kansas City’s lead to 15-10.
Chris Oladokun took over at quarterback for the Chiefs in the fourth quarter. After Brashard Smith opened the possession with a 9-yard run, Oladokun was intercepted to quickly end the drive.
Tampa Bay took advantage of the short field, needing just six plays to score on a 1-yard touchdown run by Sean Tucker. The Buccaneers failed on the two-point conversion but took their first lead of the game, 16-15.
Kansas City leaned heavily on the running game on its next possession, with Smith gaining 32 yards on the ground. Oladokun added a few short completions and used his legs to help move the Chiefs into field goal range, but Harrison Butker missed the 43-yard attempt wide right.
The Buccaneers took over following the missed field goal and picked up two first downs before taking three consecutive kneel-downs to run out the clock and secure the 16-15 win.
Special teams notesKicker Harrison Butker made three of his four field-goal attempts, hitting from 45, 58 and 69 yards — then missed a 43-yard kick in the second half. He also missed a point-after attempt.
Rookie Emmett Johnson had 2 kick returns for 51 yards, including a 27-yard return.
Punter Matt Araiza’s longest of four punts traveled 58 yards.
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