Arrowhead Pride
After reviewing the loss to Buffalo, Kansas City’s signal caller knows what’s needed to make things work.
By the time the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes stepped to the podium for Wednesday’s press conference, it had been three days since his team’s 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
By then, he had learned a lot from Sunday’s disappointing result. He noted a throw to rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy — and another to tight end Travis Kelce that maybe should have gone to tight end Noah Gray.
“There are a couple plays here and there that kind of changed the momentum of the game,” Mahomes remembered. “If you look at the throw to Xavier down the sideline — or even a throw in the third quarter on second down [where] I hit Trav. [On that one,] I probably could’ve hit Noah if I just wait on the progression. Little plays like that are what make the difference in a big game.”
There’s been plenty of conversation about the deep incompletion to Worthy. Did the rookie fail to get his feet inbounds, or did Mahomes’ throw unnecessarily lead him toward the sideline?
But the other play could easily go unnoticed.
This rep demonstrates how impactful one missed third-down conversion can be.
It also points to the Chiefs playing from behind — and needing that possession to get back on track after the game script went off the rails; Mahomes’ opening-drive interception led to Buffalo taking a 6-0 lead.
“I feel like offensively, we can be better in how we start,” offered Mahomes, “and how we play throughout the entire game. A lot of times in the fourth quarter — when we need a score — we go right down the field and score. If we play the entire football game like that, it won’t put us in these situations we’re in one-score games at the very end.”
On his interception in the team’s first drive, Mahomes was too urgent. He ran up in the pocket before getting the ball out as he was being tackled — which is what caused the errant pass.
“That’s on me more than anything,” said Mahomes of the play. “If I just sit in the pocket — rather than run up in the pocket — I don’t get slung and throw it over the top of Noah. [But if] I hit Noah in stride? It’s a big play.”
The Bills squeezed the pocket throughout the game. That’s likely to be the case against the rest of the AFC’s best teams. Mahomes understands he has to help his offensive line just as much as they need to help him.
“That’s something I have to continue to work on,” he admitted, “settling in those spots in the pocket where I can make those throws — and not forcing myself to run or scramble too fast. I’ll continue to work on that throughout the season, so that we can be playing our best football at the end of...
