ATLANTA — Most of the time, if a team isn’t playing well in any game, if the quarterback is playing himself or allows two red zone drives in the final five minutes, that team is going to struggle its way to a losing record.
And despite their struggles, the Kansas City Chiefs are still one of five unbeaten teams remaining in the league at 3-0.
The two-time world champions did just enough to win Sunday night, beating the Atlanta Falcons 22-17 in a game that wasn’t decided until the final 56 seconds. Missing their star running back and facing a Falcons that was alternately lethal and self-destructive, Kansas City drew heavily on their experience to escape Atlanta with a win that few teams have earned.
“Yeah, we’ve got a lot of things to work on,” coach Andy Reid said after the game, without going into details.
Reid praised the defense for forcing two Atlanta turnovers, one inside the Chiefs’ 13-yard line and one on final downs, but didn’t mention Kansas City’s struggles, including continued trouble getting the ball to Travis Kelce and miscues that included three straight outs in game-deciding moments late in the fourth quarter. Reid was certainly aware of those points, but he wouldn’t publicly reveal Kansas City’s weaknesses.
Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, isn’t holding back.
“I haven’t played very well in any of the three games,” he said after Sunday night’s game. “For us to be able to win, it speaks volumes about our team’s character, our resilience and how we’ve handled these situations in the past. But I just didn’t feel like I played very well, especially offensively.”
Patrick Mahomes says the Chiefs’ offense is still a work in progress (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Mahomes completed 26 of 39 passes for 217 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He had little trouble moving the ball. Kansas City outnumbered Atlanta by nearly 10 minutes in possession for most of the game, finishing with a 34:57-25:03 lead.
But Mahomes struggled to complete long passes. His longest was a 27-yarder to Ruchy Rice. He floated an ugly interception in the end zone to perennial rival Justin Simmons on Kansas City’s first drive. The Chiefs relied on Harrison Butker’s toes, making three field goals in four attempts in the second and third quarters. Mahomes had no trouble finding the open man, but there was something un-Mahomes-like about his play.
He knows that “vibe” doesn’t show up in box scores or even advanced metrics, but he senses something is off.
“It’s not about the statistics,” Mahomes said of his frustration, “It’s just that I feel like I’m missing opportunities and I’m not throwing the ball exactly where I want to.”
“He’s the best quarterback I’ve ever played with,” Rice said, “so anytime I feel like he didn’t have a good game, I feel the same way.” (Rice, by the way, led all receivers with 12 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.)
The defense kept its promise, stave off Falcons attack after attack. Linebacker Nick Bolton was the game-stopper, grabbing Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson in the backfield on fourth down and one yard with under a minute left to end the Falcons’ final hopes. After the game, Bolton credited the Chiefs’ week-to-week preparation for the win.
“Two minutes, four minutes, however many minutes it takes, just go out there and do it,” Bolton said. “Believe in what you’re doing.”
The Chiefs have won three games by a combined 13 points. But the key word in that sentence is “wins,” not “13.” The NFL is in disarray right now. Teams expected to make the Super Bowl are 1-2. Teams expected to struggle are undefeated. But the Chiefs and Mahomes remain the stalwarts, the standard, the goal.
The Chiefs have two of the most unpredictable teams in 2024 — the Chargers (2-1) and the Saints (2-1) — scheduled for a bye week, followed by a Super Bowl rematch with San Francisco. If they play as they have in the past, they could lose all three games, or they could win all three games… but with this “good enough” stretch, they probably won’t win by a large margin anytime soon.
“Luckily for me, I’m not playing my best and we’re still winning,” Mahomes said. “I have to get better to be better at my offense.”
The fact that Kansas City is struggling, and still winning, should be a huge warning to the rest of the league. If the Chiefs can get through this tough time and still win games, a third straight championship might be the least of Kansas City’s worries in the league.
