Much like last season, the Kansas City Chiefs offense needed a little help from the defense to win games. However, unlike the 2023-24 season, quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ inconsistent play cannot be attributed primarily to a lack of execution or talent around him.
Sunday night’s win over the Atlanta Falcons was a perfect example of that. Mahomes completed 26 of 39 passes, but the two-time MVP winner managed just 217 yards through the air and two touchdowns. His 87.2 passer rating was far from what people expected, and the eye test confirms that.
After Kansas City’s win in Atlanta, head coach Andy Reid said his team has “a lot of things to do” going forward. A big part of that involves the offense, which in turn has to do with the quarterback’s play.
Due to a turnover in the first quarter, Mahomes averaged just 0.12 EPA per play against the Falcons. While his Week 2 figure (-0.19) looked impeccable, it was also significantly lower than his Week 1 figure (0.42). This mediocre performance is not enough for the Chiefs to achieve sustained success.
His early interception is evidence that Mahomes believes he needs to get back to basics. That would make him more effective in games and drag the Chiefs offense along with him.
“I think it’s just a matter of footwork,” Mahomes said. “I’ve got to get my fundamentals right. I think I trust my arm too much on some of these throws. Even the first throw of the game, I kind of flicked it away — kind of off balance — and didn’t hit Rashee (Rice) going down the seam there. I’ve got to get back to my fundamentals. Those are things I go through sometimes, but usually not this early in the season. Luckily, I’m not playing my best football and we’re still getting wins. I’ve got to get better to improve the offense.”
Three weeks into his seventh run as the Chiefs’ full-time starter, Mahomes has thrown four interceptions. Last season, he set a career high in that regard with 14. Although he surpassed the 4,000-yard passing mark and threw 27 touchdowns this year, it was a poor performance from what is widely considered the best quarterback in football. With wideout Xavier Worthy added to the team for this year, many expected Mahomes to reach the statistical heights he did in 2022. That hasn’t been the case so far.
Mahomes will certainly win the victories via impressive numbers, but a higher standard for him will better reflect on Kansas City’s offense. Even though the 29-year-old has struggled a bit, Rice has picked up right where he left off as a rookie. After a 12-catch, 110-yard performance, he said he’s happy his quarterback believes there’s still room for improvement.
“I think it’s great, just because he’s the best quarterback I’ve ever played with,” Rice said. “If he feels like he didn’t play well, I feel the same way. We just need to get back to practice so we can get better together.”
