CBS analyst Tony Romo referred to as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes “a man who’s by no means not performed within the AFC Championship” as Sunday’s Kansas Metropolis-Buffalo conflict reached its crescendo.
After Mahomes’ desperation cross for the top zone fell incomplete – cementing Payments 28, Chiefs 21 and sending KC to a pedestrian 5-4 – Mahomes supplied his personal fact.
Requested about envisioning a playoff rematch with the Payments, a frequent regular- and postseason rival, Mahomes mentioned, “We’ve received to get there first.”
No query, the reigning convention champs face roadblocks in that division.
Across the time the drama concluded on the Payments’ Highmark Stadium, the Jacksonville Jaguars survived the Las Vegas Raiders’ two-point conversion try and prevail 30-29 in additional time.
That victory despatched the Jaguars to 5-3 and put them in possession of the AFC’s No. 7 seed over the Chiefs behind a 31-28 win in opposition to Kansas Metropolis in Week 5.
You may recall Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence sealing that one with a 1-yard TD run with 23 seconds remaining moments after tripping.
KC discovered its ft over the following three weeks, dealing with NFC contender Detroit and throttling Las Vegas and Washington to maneuver to 5-3 coming into the journey to Buffalo.
After all, 5-3 nonetheless isn’t as much as snuff for the Chiefs within the Mahomes ERA (2017-), making 5-4 about as cringeworthy as these exchanges between Mahomes and Meghan Trainor in these new State Farm advertisements.
It’s a superb factor for them that the Chiefs notice it.
“We’ve had nice moments, we’ve had unhealthy moments. We’ve received to be extra constant as a group,” mentioned Mahomes, who accomplished 44.1% of his passes Sunday, falling beneath 50% for the primary time in his profession. “I’ve received to be extra constant as a quarterback. We’ve received to have the ability to battle.
“I imply, we’ve type of been in a whole lot of these tight, shut video games in our historical past. However they’re not going our method now. So how can we cope with that adversity? How can we be higher and study from it? I imply, you possibly can solely study from so many losses.”
Naturally, Chiefs haters are taking consolation within the scenario. Kansas Metropolis is 0-4 in one-score video games one season after incomes 11 such victories.
Effectively, what have you learnt, the category know-it-all discovered his method into detention?
Kansas Metropolis enters its bye this week figuring out a gauntlet awaits on the opposite facet. The Chiefs go to AFC West-leading Denver (7-2) in Week 11 earlier than internet hosting Indianapolis, additionally 7-2 and the convention’s high seed, the next week.
Indy will likely be coming off its personal bye after going through Atlanta in Berlin. The Colts are also dealing with id points after stumbling in Pittsburgh in Week 9.
Make that self-deprecating Pittsburgh.
“We’re nonetheless the identical group that stunk it up final week,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin mentioned. “That’s soccer.”
With vast receivers Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder) returning in latest weeks, the Chiefs fancied themselves as AFC powers once more.
There have been shades of that in opposition to the Payments but in addition sequences at which to throw shade.
Kansas Metropolis can neither win nor lose through the bye. It had higher emerge with a way of urgency, although.
“It’s type of like, ‘Received to do it now,’” Mahomes mentioned. “There’s no simple recreation developing, and there’s no extra probabilities that we will actually take losses.”
