The Chiefs were in command for the entirety of their 22-6 win over the Chargers tonight, but Patrick Mahomes would be the first person to tell you Kansas City left some points on the board.
It wasn't exactly a vintage outing by the superstar quarterback's standards, as Mahomes didn't throw a touchdown for the first time this season and tossed a red-zone interception in the second quarter. The Chargers' anemic offense couldn't capitalize on the miscue, but Mahomes knows that won't always be the case against better opponents.
The three-time Super Bowl MVP took responsibility for the interception during his postgame press conference and explained what he saw before the throw. It was an awkward in-between decision, as he was partially trying to throw the ball away while also giving his intended target, Andrew Armstrong, a chance to make a play.
"It happened faster than I expected it, so instead of just staying with it and throwing it to the end zone, I tried scrambling and did what you're not supposed to do. I was trying to throw it away but trying to give him a chance..You just can't do that, especially with how our defense was playing," Mahomes said.
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There were also a handful of stalled possessions, including a goal-line sequence where KC ran Kenneth Walker up the middle four straight times and came away empty-handed. The Chiefs also had multiple drives fizzle out after halftime, making execution a major talking point for Mahomes after the game.
"Missing the field goal and stuff like that, you got to execute at a higher level in the second half like we did in the first half," Mahomes stated. "That's stuff we have got to continue to work... For me, it's just about how can we be consistent for an entire game and not have those droughts, a quarter here and there where we're not playing to our standard."
When asked what the offense needs to clean up to become more consistent, Mahomes pointed to the little things and specifically mentioned the fourth-and-one stop. It marked the third consecutive week Kansas City was stuffed on fourth-and-short with Walker pounding it up the gut.
"Little things here and there," he continued. If one guy makes a mistake in a moment and that just ruins the drive. Obviously, you want to be able to punch it in on that fourth-and-one at the goal line. That's a big one."
Still, Mahomes isn't going to dwell on a few missed chances after a 16-point victory. He reflected on his devastating injury last season and the grueling recovery from a torn ACL, explaining how the experience has changed his perspective and allowed him to enjoy playing football even more.
"Last year, to me, put football in perspective," Mahomes said. "We have played in so many Super Bowls, and especially those last few, we didn't play our best football in the regular season and just turned it on in the playoffs. Even last year, when stuff wasn't going right, I thought we were going to figure it out. Having to go through that rehab process and not play football, it's really made me enjoy the process of it. I try to have fun out there and enjoy the wins, because you never know when it's going to be your last one."
The Chiefs will head to Seattle next Sunday night for a much tougher test against a top-ranked Seahawks defense. That matchup should provide a better gauge of where Kansas City's offense stands, especially after Mahomes and Eric Bieniemy spend the upcoming week identifying the little things that need to be cleaned up.
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