Guess who’s back on track? After a humbling defeat against the Bills, the Chiefs are back at winning (one-score games) with their 10th win of the season. As the team, who are aiming for a three-peat, showed the Carolina Panthers how it’s done, the owners and the fandom is elated—but more so, because of one particular rookie whose antics even cost an official a hilarious bump on the head. But more on that later…

For Spencer Shrader,  this year was nothing spectacular. Having joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024, he signed with the New York Jets practice squad in October this year. However, as November rolled by, a massive decision awaited him—stay with the Jets or replace Chiefs’ injured kicker Harrison Butker for at least four games? He chose the Super Bowl champs (a decision that he’d come to appreciate massively), and kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Chiefs over the Panthers (30-27).

Having said that, for the rookie kicker, choosing Patrick Mahomes‘ arsenal was a decision as clear as day. In the post-game presser, the 25-year-old, who had a perfect 3-on-3 record on November 24, revealed, “I wanted to be around an elite staff, elite players, everyone is very on top of things here… I’m gaining value just by being a part of this place, being a part of this organization.”

Having said that, we can surely say that the management is definitely happy—amply evident by Tavia Hunt’s reaction. Before the Panthers clash, Shrader had shared an Instagram story expressing his nervousness, that read: “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” After the game, Tavia shared Spencer Shrader’s story with the caption, “So proud of this young man for calm under pressure and giving God the Glory in his presser!!”

And how could he not stay calm under pressure? After all, this was to be one of the biggest games of his life. “I knew that I’d be getting an opportunity, so I just tried to stay calm, understand that it was going to come at some point and when it did come, I was ready. It’s been a whirlwind for sure, but I think the thing that helps in that situation is that I’m around a group of true professionals.

“I couldn’t be around a better group, a better team like everyone reaching out trying to get you as comfortable as possible to set you up for a situation like this,” Shrader said. Notably, the player made all three of his field goal attempts from 25, 41 and 31 yards, and all three of his extra point attempts against the Panthers.

On one particular occasion though, a viral video showed the 25-year-old attempt an extra point try. Not only did he pull it off, but what happened after was much more memorable. What are the chances that the ball lands on your head perfectly out of everywhere else? Well, ask head of field judge Dyrol Prioleau—the ball literally bounced off of his head!

What’s more unique? Initially, the incident even escaped NFL’s eagle-eyed officials. After the video when viral, NFL GameDay replied to the original tweet, “Hi Mike, reaching out on behalf on NFL Media. Do own this video? If so, may we have your permission to use it on broadcast with courtesy to your account?” to which the user responded, “Hello. I was watching the game and I saw it happen and none of my friends saw that it happened. So I rewound and videoed it. You can do what you want with it. :-)” Shrader has undoubtedly become the talk of the town post Week-12. But for some Chiefs insiders, he had become a superstar long before that.

The team’s special teams coordinator Dave Toub couldn’t be more appreciative, noting that Shrader had caught his eye even before he joined the league. “Every year, we rate all the kickers coming out. A lot like Butker, he was our number one guy coming out, we had him number one on our list. He was a guy obviously we targeted, we looked at and we liked him early and then he was on the practice squad, so we took a shot and got him. We’re happy we got him. He’s got a strong leg. We haven’t seen a lot of him but in practice, he’s looked really good,” he said as per Sports Illustrated.

“He’s got that in him…He hit a couple of 65-yarders at practice the other day, so he’s got a really strong leg. In fact, we had to move him back when we first started out hitting extra points because he was hitting them over the net. We were losing footballs, so we had to move him back. He’s got a really, really strong leg. He’s young. He’s excited to be here and he loves the operation and everything we’ve got going,” Toub further expressed.

As for the Panthers, despite being down by 11 points, they rallied to tie the game with two touchdowns. Bryce Young had one of his best games of the season. Passing for 262 yards and a touchdown, he kept the Panthers in the game late. But it’s the brilliance of Mahomes that set up the narrow win for the Chiefs.

Showtime scrambled for 33 yards in the final minutes, setting up Shrader for the game-winning field goal. “Yards are more important than getting out of bounds,” the QB said, reflecting on his smart decision to keep the play alive. It seems Shrader’s IG story had an impact on the whole team, as they refused to be anxious. With the Chiefs winning five games that were decided in the final seconds, what’s next for them?

What’s next for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs?

It was star kicker Harrison Butker’s knee injury that ensured inclusion in the Chiefs’ squad for Shrader. As the season progresses, all eyes are on him. Can he continue to fill Butker’s shoes? Sunday’s performance gives room for optimism. But Patrick Mahomes remains the backbone of this team. The Chiefs continue to rely on him to make the right calls in tough situations.

The number 15 threw for 269 yards (including 60 yards rushing), adding three touchdowns to his already impressive season. The Chiefs have now won five games decided in the final seconds. With his resilience, Showtime continues to prove that no game is ever out of reach when he’s at the helm.

Tight end Noah Gray also stepped up in a big way. He caught four passes for 66 yards and scored two touchdowns marking his second consecutive multi-touchdown game. Setting the bar higher, with 11,897 receiving yards, Travis Kelce moved into third place for all-time receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history. He only trails behind legends Tony Gonzalez (15,127) and Jason Witten (13,046). It’s clear that Mahomes has multiple reliable targets. But the defense has some catching up to do.

The Kansas City defense allowed a long 8-minute touchdown drive to start the third quarter. They held strong otherwise, especially with the Panthers’ red-zone struggles. In conclusion, the Chiefs look good heading into the final stretch of the season. They have adapted to the situation and stayed resolute. But their overreliance on Mahomes can hurt them in the long run. Especially as the team continues to win close encounters. Meanwhile, Shrader will have a few games to prove his worth, with Butker being out for a few more games.