Even before the fourth lead change of the fourth quarter White Ndamukong Suh Jersey , well before the 1,001st yard of combined offense was tallied, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams already knew this was a classic.Two powerhouse NFL teams at the peak of their brilliance dueled deep into the night at an ecstatic Coliseum, racking up eye-popping numbers that stretched the box score and credulity.There were 14 touchdowns, including three by defensive players. There were 56 first downs. There were 105 points, with 50 from each team ?Rams did just enough to leave with a win they'll savor for years.And if these teams meet again at the Super Bowl in 2 1/2 months, the Chiefs will remember the sting from coming up just short.Jared Goff threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Everett for the go-ahead score with 1:49 to play, and the Rams outlasted the Chiefs for a 54-51 victory Monday night in a showdown that somehow surpassed the hype."It was a crazy game, crazy game," said Goff, who passed for 413 yards and four touchdowns and even ran for another score . "It seemed like whoever had the ball at the end was going to win the game. There was times where we felt like we were going to put the knife in and finish them, and there were times where it was the other way around, where we had to claw back into it."Patrick Mahomes passed for a career-high 478 yards with six touchdown passes in his latest jaw-dropping effort for the Chiefs (9-2), but he also threw two interceptions in the final 1:18 as the Rams (10-1) claimed the highest-scoring Monday night game ever played.The highest-scoring game in the league this season was an offensive fantasia of ingenious scheming from mastermind coaches Andy Reid and Sean McVay 鈥?along with 21 combined penalties to keep things interesting. The second half was an extended thriller featuring 59 combined points.Both teams scratched out fourth-quarter leads, only to see them evaporate. Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill with a 73-yard TD pass just when the Rams appeared to be pulling away early in the fourth Youth Aaron Donald Jersey , and Goff replied with two late TD passes to Everett , a backup tight end with 31 career catches before this game."It was a whirlwind," McVay said. "I feel like I might need a couple of beverages to relax tonight, but it was great. This is what you love so much about the game."And this game was ultimately decided by defense: Marcus Peters and Lamarcus Joyner came up with late interceptions as the Rams stopped Mahomes' final efforts."It's always fun to play against real good teams," Mahomes said. "You get to go out there and have fun ... (but) it's the same as when we played New England. You can't make mistakes against great teams. You need to limit your mistakes, but be aggressive."The Coliseum's first Monday night game since 1985 was staged on short notice after the NFL moved the matchup from Mexico City to Los Angeles six days ago due to poor field conditions at Azteca Stadium. The Rams used the opportunity to give free tickets to thousands of first responders and families recovering from the dual tragedies of nearby wildfires and a mass shooting in Thousand Oaks.Those fans got an incredible treat for their reward 鈥?and if the video-game-like spectacle they saw turns out to be a Super Bowl preview, Atlanta will get an All-Madden-level show as well."It was just cool," said Todd Gurley, whose 13-game touchdown streak somehow ended in this offensive showcase. "It was a last-minute game and everybody (came) out in support. Had the families here, had the responders, so it was just a great overall crowd and it was good for the city."This game has loomed in capital letters on the NFL's regular-season schedule ever since these teams confirmed their status as offensive powerhouses in September. The Rams and Chiefs are the league's biggest favorites along with New Orleans and New England 鈥?the teams responsible for the only other losses by Los Angeles and Kansas City this season.Mahomes had the most prolific passing game in the NFL this year, but he and Goff both made key mistakes.Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam returned Mahomes' fumble and a one-armed interception for the first two TDs of his NFL career, while Kansas City's Allen Bailey returned Goff's fumble for a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter."It was electric," Ebukam said. "It's hard to describe, because I'm still like in a game mode right now. I haven't calmed down yet, so it hasn't really all sunk in yet."BIG FINISHThe final seven minutes were particularly frantic and sweet: After Chris Conley caught his second TD pass from Mahomes for a 51-47 lead with 2:47 to play White Marcus Peters Jersey , Goff replied with a 75-yard TD drive in 58 seconds, hitting Everett down the Rams' frenzied sideline.Peters 鈥?the former Pro Bowl cornerback traded by Kansas City to Los Angeles last winter 鈥?then intercepted Mahomes' underthrown ball near midfield with 1:18 to play, but the Rams only managed to take 14 seconds off the clock on their next three plays.The Coliseum roiled in anticipation of a big finish by Mahomes, but the Chiefs were pushed back to their 13 with 50 seconds left thanks to a booming punt by Johnny Hekker. Joyner intercepted Mahomes' final desperate heave with 13 seconds left."We can learn from this," Reid said. "We can't give up 21 points on turnovers. Have to take care of the football. We created some turnovers and points, (but had) too many penalties. We'll heal up and get set to go for the stretch run."TIMELY DEFENSEFor all the offensive brilliance on display, both defenses made game-changing plays as well.Aaron Donald forced two fumbles while sacking Mahomes, and Ebukam returned the first for a TD in the second quarter. The Rams' unsung outside linebacker then made a spectacular one-armed interception at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter before returning it 25 yards for a score, powering over Mahomes to reach the end zone.INJURIESChiefs: WR Sammy Watkins had one catch for 4 yards against his former team after missing last week's game with a foot injury.Rams: CB Troy Hill, WR Brandin Cooks and Peters all went to the locker room early in the second half with cramps. They all returned.UP NEXTChiefs: Bye week, followed by a trip to Oakland on Dec. 2.Rams: Bye week, followed by a trip to Detroit on Dec. 2. Steve Wilks began what could be his final week as Arizona Cardinals coach pretty much the same as any other week.At what might be his last Monday news conference, the first-year coach calmly, politely answered every question thrown his way. What he might like to say is another matter."I always tell the coaches this: There's always a bubble over a player's head and as you sit there trying to talk to him, if you really understood what that bubble was saying back, you'd be amazed Youth Todd Gurley II Jersey ," Wilks told reporters with his usual straight face. "There's a bubble over my head and if you really knew exactly how I felt inside and what it was saying, you would question my faith at times."Asked to reveal one of the thoughts from inside the bubble, Wilks said, "My mom's in town, so I don't want to say those words."Wilks is dryly funny and likable, which makes watching him toil through this season difficult. There hasn't been much improvement from the opening of training camp. Some things, the run defense for instance, have gotten worse.But Wilks soldiers on with an inconsistent rookie at quarterback, a one-time All-Pro running back who never broke loose and an extremely popular wide receiver nearing the end of a spectacular career. Otherwise, the Cardinals have a core of mostly anonymous receivers and an offensive line of rookies and castoffs from other teams after the starters, who weren't much more effective, went down with injuries. Only rookie center Mason Cole remains from that first group.The defense has hung in there much of the season but has been gashed for 215 and 269 yards rushing the last two weeks, its worst two games of the year in that department. Five days after being signed off the street, C.J. Anderson rushed for 167 yards 鈥?one shy of his career best 鈥?in the Rams' 31-9 win in Glendale.Wilks called Arizona's run defense "a virus" under his skin. He blames it on players being in the wrong places and, most of all, missed tackles.This coach is all about defense. He was defensive coordinator for a season with Ron Rivera in Carolina. Before that Brandin Cooks Jersey , he coached defensive backs for five seasons. So he takes the defensive issues personally.But it's been the offense that's been an even bigger problem. Arizona ranks last in the NFL in every major category, and with one game left it's hard to see that changing much.The only Arizona TD against the Rams was a trick play that saw rookie Josh Rosen throw backward to Fitzgerald, who tossed to a wide-open David Johnson for his first career scoring pass (in 15 NFL seasons). He has 115 career TD catches.Fitzgerald bumped chests with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich when he left the field to chants of "Larry, Larry.""Because he told me he was going to call it, so I was happy he did, and I had the opportunity to throw something," Fitzgerald said.Otherwise, the offense didn't do much, and one play won't make Wilks' job more secure. He acknowledges getting support from around the league."Coach Rivera is always a guy that I'm very close to," Wilks said. "There are times that (Bengals head coach) Marvin Lewis has reached out to me this year. (Jets head coach) Todd Bowles, (Bills head coach) Sean McDermott. Those guys who have gone through the process and just words of encouragement."Now comes a trip to Seattle, which has already clinched a playoff spot. Just how much the main cast of characters will play for the Seahawks remains to be seen. Arizona finished 1-7 at home, its worst since moving from St. Louis 30 years ago. A loss on Sunday would leave the team 3-13, tied for the worst since the franchise moved and the worst since 2000.When it's over in the Pacific Northwest, Wilks will fly back with his team to hear his fate.