It lived up to the hype.
The Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Rams thrilling, back-and-forth, big-play bombardment on national television was everything the NFL dreamed of: points, huge plays, numerous lead changes, defensive scores, big-time players making big-time plays, young quarterback's leading areal raids.
Not since LeBron James' rookie NBA season did a sports moment entering with such gigantic media hype exceed the outsized expectations. It was labeled as the game of the season; it will be darn near impossible to top.
With help from the NFL Research department, let's run down a list of superlatives, records, and down-right mind-boggling stats from Monday night's enthusiastically draining affair.
» The teams combined for the third-most points (105) in a game in NFL history.
» The teams combined for 14 total touchdowns, T-2nd most in a game in NFL history. (The Buffalo Bills have scored 13 TDs all season.)
» Jared Goff became the first quarterback in Rams history with multiple career games of 400-plus pass yards and 4-plus pass TD. Only Peyton Manning (4) and HOF Dan Marino (3) have had more career games with 400-plus pass yards & 4-plus pass TD since 1950.
» Todd Gurley became the third Rams running back since 1950 to rush for 1,000-plus yards through the first 11 games of a season. Gurley joins HOF Eric Dickerson (1986, 1984, 1983) and Steven Jackson (2009). Gurley's streak of 13 straight games with a TD was snapped in Week 11 vs KC -- T-4th longest such streak since 1950.
» Josh Reynolds, replacing Cooper Kupp: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 80 receiving yards, 1 rec TD -- third receiving TD this season. Career-high in targets, receptions, and receiving yards.
» Aaron Donald (2 sacks) leads the NFL in sacks (14.5), QB hits (28), and tackles for loss (16) this season. Donald is only the third player this season to force multiple strip sacks recovered by the defense in a single game -- Joins DEN Von Miller (Wk 7) and SEA Frank Clark (Wk 6).
» According to Next Gen Stats, Aaron Donald averaged 3.67 time to sack on his two strip sacks of Patrick Mahomes -- Donald: 3.78 average time to sack this season (5th-fastest in NFL, min. 6 sacks).
» Samson Ebukam: 3 tackles, 1.0 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 INT return TD, 1 fumble returned for TD. Ebukam is the first player with a sack, interception and multiple touchdowns in a single game since sacks became official in 1982.
» The Chiefs are the second team since at least 1940 to score 40-plus in multiple losses in a season (Join 1966 Giants). K.C. is averaging 45.5 points in its two losses this season.
» Patrick Mahomes joins Ben Roethlisberger (2014) and Y.A. Tittle (1962) as the only player since 1950 with two games with 6-plus pass TD in a single season. It was Mahomes' second game with 6-plus pass TD in his first 12 career games (no other player has even 1 such game since 1950).
» Mahomes had his sixth game of 4-plus pass TD this season (T-2nd most in a season since 1950; Peyton Manning, 9).
» Mahomes is the fifth QB since 1950 to throw six pass TD in a losing effort: Eli Manning (Week 8, 2015), Carson Palmer (Week 2, 2007), Dan Marino (Week 3, 1986), Charley Johnson (Week 7, 1969).
» Tyreek Hill's 215 receiving yards are the second-most in a game in Chiefs franchise history. Stephone Paige had 309 receiving yards versus the Chargers in Week 16, 1985.