KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes is now 12-0 in games when the Kansas City Chiefs trail by exactly 10 points at any point in a game.
Yeah, go ahead and read that sentence again because it’s astounding.
“I’m proud of our guys for hanging in there,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. “It easily could have gone another direction."
Mahomes, who finished 19 of 29 for 245 yards with a touchdown and a pick, doesn’t deserve all the credit for the Chiefs’ 17-10 win Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, but QB wins is a stat and no NFL QB has ever had more (78) in his first 100 games.
It's just that Mahomes had a lot of help.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones had another monster game, recording two sacks and three of the Chiefs' 10 QB hits, while linebacker Drue Tranquill played with the motivation of a man going against his former team, making a game-high 10 tackles.
Travis Kelce rediscovered his mojo, snagging seven catches for 89 yards (after totaling eight catches for 69 yards in the first three games), and rookie Xavier Worthy stepped up after Rashee Rice’s first-quarter injury.
Cornerback Jaylen Watson had two passes defended and defensive end Malik Herring made his presence felt without Mike Danna available.
Still, Mahomes overcame a wretched start, completed the longest pass (by air yards) of his storied NFL career, and helped the Chiefs gut their way to a 10th straight win overall, including the last two weeks and the playoffs last year, and an 11th straight road win against the Chargers.
“We had to pick up our urgency,” Mahomes said. “We weren’t playing well ... but our defense is a really good defense. They know how to shut the door and keep us in football games.”
This is the sixth time the Chiefs have started 4-0 or better during Andy Reid’s tenure in Kansas City.
Kansas City started 9-0 in his first season with the franchise in 2013 then started at least 4-0 in four straight seasons from 2017-20.
GOING DEEP: Xavier Worthy burst onto the scene with two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, in his NFL debut Sept. 5 against Baltimore, but he’d been quiet in two games since.
That changed during the second quarter against the Chargers when he hauled in the longest touchdown by air yards in Mahomes’ career.
Patrick Mahomes' 54-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy traveled 62.2 yards in the air, Mahomes' longest completion by air distance of his career.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 29, 2024
Worthy reached a top speed of 21.46 mph, the 3rd-fastest play by a ball carrier this season.
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Worthy, a first-round pick from Texas last spring, had 68 total yards — two catches for 47 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown, along with a 21-yard jet sweep for a rushing score — against the Ravens, but he managed only 52 total yards in the next two games combined.
Worthy had two catches for 17 yards against both Cincinnati and Atlanta, adding four carries for 18 yards in the two games.
He topped that production with one catch in the second quarter, hauling in a 54-yard go ball for a touchdown for Kansas City’s only first-half points.
By yardage, it was Mahomes’ longest TD toss since a 56-yard touchdown to Jerick McKinnon on Dec. 11, 2022, at Denver, but Mahomes’ pass actually traveled more than 62 yards in the air, longer than any other completion he’s had in the NFL.
Worthy finished with career-highs for catches (three) and yards (73), including a 15-yard catch and run right before the two-minute warning that iced the comeback win.
His touchdown was a rare first-half highlight for Kansas City.
NO STEELE GRIP: For the second time in three games, undrafted rookie running back Carson Steele coughed up a fumble.
Two weeks after losing the ball in a last-second win against Cincinnati, Steele caught a pass for no gain on Kansas City’s first play.
Three plays later, Steele got his first carry — a three-yard rumble up the middle — but he coughed up the ball for the first of consecutive turnovers by the Chiefs’ offense to start the game.
Steele lost two fumbles in his first 30 NFL touches, including special teams, but Reid sounded an upbeat note after the game.
“I’m not down on Carson," Reid said. "He had the fumble; he’ll figure that out. We’re lucky to have three good guys in there.”
Steele finished with two carries for 6 yards, getting only one more touch from scrimmage after the turnover.
DOMINANT DEFENSE: The Chargers marched 74 yards on 10 plays on the opening drive, but the Chiefs’ defense adjusted and dominated the rest of the first half.
Los Angeles’ next five drives totaled 17 plays for minus 13 yards with penalty yards included.
“I thought our defense stepped up in key situations,” Reid said.
The Chargers gained only two yards in the entire second quarter and had only one first down after the initial drive, going one for six on third down before halftime.
Los Angeles regrouped at halftime but opened the third quarter with a missed 55-yard field goal and an empty 14-play drive after defensive tackle Chris Jones wrecked a fourth-and-1 play from the Kansas City 3-yard line.
One drive after Harrison Butker tied the game with a 37-yard field goal, Jim Harbaugh rolled the dice and came up snake eyes.
Herbert, who was questionable for the game with a high ankle sprain, couldn’t escape pressure from Jones and threw the ball away.
He finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.
Los Angeles managed only 224 total yards, went 4 of 13 on third down and managed a meager 12 first downs.
KAREEM HUNT’S RETURN: Two weeks after Isiah Pacheco suffered a broken leg late in a win against Cincinnati, Kareem Hunt saw his first snaps in a Chiefs uniform since December 2018.
“I thought he did a great job,” Mahomes said. “I know it’s an offense he’d been in, but an offense he hadn’t played in in years. To be able to run the football hard, get well-earned yards, catch the ball out of the backfield — it was great to see.”
Hunt was a rising star for Kansas City during his first two NFL seasons before TMZ obtained video of him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel. Additional incidents also came to light, prompting the Chiefs to release Hunt.
He was suspended for eight games to start the 2019 season and hasn’t ever been as productive as his first two seasons, but he provided some critical backfield production for the Chiefs’ offense, taking over the role of featured back after Steele’s fumble.
“He’s always been a guy that runs tough,” Mahomes said. “He’s hard to tackle, and you could see that.”
Hunt, who had sports hernia surgery in the offseason, finished with 14 carries for 69 yards. He also had two catches for 16 yards.
“He had a big day and I’m sure will be very sore tomorrow,” Reid said.
Samaje Perine poached a touchdown with 6:04 remaining when right guard Trey Smith pushed him into the end zone for Kansas City’s first lead of the game.
With Pacheco sidelined and Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the Non-Football Injury List, Kansas City signed Kareem Hunt to the practice squad on Sept. 18. He was added to the active roster Tuesday. Edwards-Helaire is eligible to return in Week 5.
CHAMPIONSHIP COACHING BATTLE: For the first time in NFL history, the coach of the reigning Super Bowl champion (Reid) squared off against the coach of the reigning Football Bowl Subdivision champion (Jim Harbaugh, Michigan).
Advantage, NFL, but Reid was complimentary and deferential to his counterpart, like he usually is.
“He was down a few guys, but what a game plan they had,” Reid said.
The Chargers sacked Mahomes three times and limited the Chiefs to 329 total yards, but couldn't muster enough offense to top Reid's squad.
WAS TAYLOR SWIFT AT THE GAME?: Pop icon Taylor Swift missed a second straight Chiefs road game — best I could tell.
Tight end Travis Kelce’s sweetheart attended the first two games of the season, wins at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium against Baltimore and Cincinnati, while her Eras Tour remains on hiatus.
It resumes Oct. 18 in Miami and wraps up in early December.
Swift first appeared at the Chiefs game on Sept. 24, 2023, a win against the Bears at Arrowhead. Kansas City is 12-3 when Swift, who has been dating Kelce for more than a year, is in attendance.
The Chiefs’ next game is Monday, Oct. 7, against the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead.
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