DINH DOONG

 

 

The Kansas City Chiefs keep on rolling with another victory after beating the Atlanta Falcons 22-17 on Sunday Night Football but their star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is not happy with another tough day at the office.

The defending Super Bowl champions are missing some key figures in their offense such as Hollywood Brown and Isiah Pacheco and it’s noticeable, as they struggle to dominate the opposition.

Combined from their opening three fixtures, the AFC West leaders have a 13-point winning margin to start the 2024/25 NFL season leaving the quarterback admitting the offense isn’t firing on all cylinders so far and he’s the reason why.

“We haven’t played well in all three games,” Mahomes told reporters on September 22. “We’ve been able to win, that speaks to the character of the team -the grit, how we’ve been in these situations before.

“But I’ll speak offensively and, for me, I haven’t played very well. And that’s not a stats thing, I just think I’m missing opportunities whenever they are out there and not throwing the ball in the exact spot I want it to be at.

“It’s about me getting back to my fundamentals, putting our guys in the right position. We gotta execute at a higher level offensively and make teams drop the field. We have to prove that we’re able to do that and I’m sure it’ll be a lot of the same next week against the Chargers.”

Mahomes predicts Kelce to get going eventually

Whilst Mahomes threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, he allowed one interception from 39 attempts, of which he completed 26 (66%). That’s not the standards he’s capable, but it’s not bad either.

But the same simply cannot be said for the team’s tight end, Travis Kelce, who has been anonymous in the opening three games despite being integral to the team’s successes since 2019.

The 34-year-old, who is dating Taylor Swift, has only made eight receptions for 69 yards and he’s scored no touchdowns and doesn’t seem to be a preferred target from Mahomes, even with the injuries to other offensive players.

It’s left fans wondering if he has hit the age wall, but Mahomes insists he is simply not in his groove at the moment because of how much value rivals are putting on keeping him isolated and quiet.

“I think the more Rashee [Rice] makes plays, the more we’re able to run the football,” Mahomes added. “The more we can get [Xavier] Worthy involved, I think that’s going to open Travis up more. People are really emphasizing trying to take him away, and it’s getting other guys open.”

Mahomes continued: “I mean it’s crazy because teams still… the respect factor they have for Travis is just unreal. It’s well-deserved but we’re calling a lot of plays for Travis and it’s like two or three people are going to him.

“He understands. I think that’s the great thing about him is he wants to make an impact in the game but he wants to win at the end of the day. I’m going to try to do my best to keep feeding him the ball whenever he’s there, whenever he’s open.”