Mahomes Magic? Nope, that was Chiefs backup QB Shane Buechele ballin'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Shane Buechele did his best Patrick Mahomes impression Sunday during the third quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs’ preseason opener at New Orleans.

And it was dazzling and pretty spot on.

Buechele, a third-year backup, avoided interior pressure from Kyle Phillips, stepping out of a sack with a scramble to the right.

That put him in the path of Prince Emili, but before he could get Buechele squared up in his sight, the former Texas and SMU gunslinger stopped, hopped to his left and dodged another possible sack before rifling a pass 15 yards off one foot to the middle of the Saints’ end zone for his second touchdown of the quarter.

“Just a little scramble drill and the guys did a good job of working for me,” Buechele said. “Just playing football, man. Just playing football — and I have a good example in front of me where I get to watch him make plays.”

That example is Mahomes, who may have been the happiest guy in the Caesars Superdome, judging by his galloping, fist-pumping reaction on the sideline.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid, ever the straight man, was a bit more understated.

“It was a good escape — that escape was good, then the throw was good and the catch was good,” Reid said. “So, that was a pretty good play.”

Kansas City trailed 17-7 after a disastrous first half, which included Buechele’s interception in the closing minutes off a tipped pass intended for wide receiver Justyn Ross.

But the Chiefs turned things around in the third quarter behind Buechele, who finished 11 of 18 for 155 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

GAME REPORT | What we learned from Chiefs' preseason opener at New Orleans

He also threw a TD earlier in the quarter to Ross as Kansas City rallied for a 21-17 lead entering the final quarter.

“Coming out for that second half, the message was energy,” Buechele said. “We needed to have better energy on the sideline and on the field. We were able to put together a couple drives where we were able to score. It was kind of cool.”

Ultimately, the Chiefs lost when Blake Grupe, a rookie kicker who played in high school at Smith-Cotton in Sedalia, connected on a 31-yard field goal as time expired for a 26-24 victory.

Kansas City’s starters — the defense played two series and the offense got one — spotted the Saints a 14-0 lead before exiting.

“We were a little flat at the beginning,” Reid said. “You can’t do that. When you come to work, you’ve got to come to work ready to go.”

—