For the first time in a while, Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense finds its footing as the offense finds its rhythm in the second half against the Oakland Raiders.
While the offense finally came online, the defense continued to do its thing
Maybe the Chiefs finally figured out what was wrong with them in the second half against the Raiders in Las Vegas on Sunday. Or maybe they simply did what coach Andy Reid had been telling them to do all month. The Chiefs trailed by two scores early in the second half, but rallied to win 31-17 thanks to a season-low four penalties and a season-low two turnovers. The result? A Patrick Mahomes-led offense that has started to look a lot like the high-scoring Chiefs teams of the last five years. “I think we’ve proven time and time again that we have the ability to move the ball, but we’ve had some small things that have held us back, but we’ve gotten to the bottom of it. We’ve kind of gone back to basics this week and we’ve kept pushing, and that’s what we’re gonna keep doing for the remainder of the season.
As the offense came alive, so did the defense.
After allowing two first-half touchdowns,
Steve Spagnuola’s group only gave up a field goal, preserving its streak of having allowed 24 points or less in every game this season.
“Our defense did a great job of keeping us in the game,” said Mahomes. “We still haven’t had a full game since Chicago in Week 3, so this is a big step forward for us.
It’s been three weeks since we’ve had a shutout in the second half, and it’s been a long time since we’ve had one.
And to top it off, it was a short week for the Chiefs, coming off a Super Bowl rematch with Philadelphia on Monday night and on the road with a holiday.
This kind of focus has been a hallmark of the Chiefs’ teams over the last few years. “We were down 14 points, and it’s hard to come back, and I’m really proud of our guys,” said Reid. “We got off to a slow start, and then the guys started making plays, and they really worked on fundamentals.”
What’s working
The Chiefs’ defense has been great at getting pressure on the quarterback from the secondary, especially with second-year player Trent McDuffie who had two sacks last week against the Eagles. On Sunday, he had a blitz and batted pass late in the fourth quarter that stopped the Raiders’ drive in KC territory and helped the Chiefs defense hold on for the win.
What’s not
Marquez Valquez-Scantling continues to have little to no impact on the KC offense. He did help the running game with some blocking, but he did have one catch for a loss of yard against the Raiders and has only had one game where he caught more than two passes once: against the Chargers, when he caught three.
Stock up
The second-round pick, Rashee Rice, has established himself as the go-to receiver in the KC passing game. He caught eight passes for a game-high 107 yards and one score, and did it in a number of ways: he tracked down a deep ball, made an impressive highlight-reel catch with a defender right in front of him, and converted a short ball into a long touchdown.
Mecole Hardman’s stock took a hit after the wide receiver was ruled out with a thumb injury. Hardman had played poorly in the first four games since being traded back to Kansas City by the New York Jets. Coupled with WR Richie James’ return from a knee injury and his success in return games, it’s hard to see how Hardman will make much of an impact moving forward.
On the injury report, RB Jerick McKinnon remained out with a groin injury, WR Skyy Moore had a knee injury, LT Donovan Smith had a neck injury and RG Trey Smith had a foot injury, but coach Andy Reid said none of the injuries were serious.
The key number
On Sunday, he became the all-time leader in regular-season regular-season victories in Kansas City with 125, passing Hall of Famer Hank Stram for second place.
Reid also holds the record for the most wins in Philadelphia Eagles history, and is the only coach to hold that distinction with two teams.
What’s Next
The Chiefs host Green Bay on Sunday night.
