Arrowhead Pride
The Kansas City Chiefs picked the right moment to deliver their most complete performance of the season. Facing the threat of a 1-3 start, Patrick Mahomes and a reloaded Kansas City offense powered the team to a 37-20 home win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon.
“I know their record doesn’t show it, but everybody knows the Baltimore Ravens,” Mahomes told reporters after the game. “They’ve had so much success these last few years. We had a good game plan going in, and we knew we had to raise our game. I think we finished the game the right way, but it was a close game throughout until the very end there. I thought we executed at a high level in crucial situations and that’s what changes the tide of the game.”
It also helped that second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy was back on the field.
Coming off a Week 1 shoulder injury that forced him to miss the last two games, the Chiefs’ biggest deep threat wasted no time in reminding everyone what he adds to Kansas City’s offensive attack. He finished with five receptions for 83 yards, along with two carries for 38 yards that showcased his game-breaking speed.
It was a clear demonstration of what the offense can do when it has most of its weapons. Mahomes finished 25-of-37 for 270 yards and four touchdowns. Behind strong offensive line play, he was able to spread the ball around to a receiving corps that suddenly looked a lot more dangerous.
“I think having all those guys [in] there helps,” head coach Andy Reid said about Mahomes’ performance. “You start getting guys back in there and mixing it up.”
Reid was pleased with the way offensive coordinator Matt Nagy used Worthy in the game plan — and how Worthy didn’t shy away from the challenge.
“Worthy didn’t flinch at all,” noted Reid. “People were worried about the shoulder and so on — but right from the start, he gets [in] the first play and he goes. That’s the way he’s approached his rehab — and everything else. I’m glad he came out healthy.”
But it wasn’t just Worthy’s production that stood out. The way his presence opened the field for receivers like Hollywood Brown and Tyquan Thornton also caught Reid’s attention.
“The speed was good,” Reid said. “Pat is developing more trust in No. 5 and more trust in No. 80. Now, you add No. 1 into the mix — who he’s already got time with. I think that’s important. That just kind of brought it together — and they fed off of each other’s success.”
Mahomes echoed his head coach’s sentiments.
“He’s just so explosive,” Mahomes said of Worthy. “You see it when you get the ball in his hands. It just makes the defenses have to adjust. When they adjust, it’s like he gets so much attention on him that other guys can make plays happen. Just having him out there — not only for his...
