John Bazemore/AP
The Kansas City Chiefs extended their lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter on a perfectly executed fake punt that resulted in Albert Wilson going 55 yards for a touchdown.
Leading 20-16 at the start of the second half, the Chiefs found themselves with a 4th-and-1 at their own 45 yard line. First it looked as though they might go for it, which forced the Falcons to use a timeout. Then, the Chiefs lined up for a punt, which was snapped directly to Wilson.
He went untouched up the middle, and in the open field turned on the afterburners.
🚨🚨 FAKE PUNT ALERT! 🚨🚨
Albert. Wilson. To. The. House. 😱 #KCvsATLhttps://t.co/d95atfmjiN
— NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2016
The touchdown was huge for the Chiefs. While the Chiefs were 8-3 entering the game, they still trail the Oakland Raiders in the division and need to fend off several teams on their heals in the Wild Card race. This game against the Falcons is just the first of four in their final five games against teams in the playoff hunt.
The play was great on a number of levels. It extended the Chiefs lead, obviously, but also forced the Falcons to waste a timeout. And Andy Reid pulling a trick play is not exactly a common occurrence.
The Chiefs currently lead 27-16 midway through the third.