The excellent news for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs: They’re not winless after a 22-9 victory over the New York Giants on “Sunday Evening Soccer.”
The dangerous information? The Chiefs nonetheless hardly resemble the crew that has reached at the least the AFC Championship sport yearly since 2018 — and their as soon as potent offense stays disjointed at finest.
Coming into Week 3 with a 0-2 report, Kansas Metropolis desperately wanted a win in any trend it may get one on Sunday. For a crew with a legendary quarterback and Tremendous Bowl aspirations, nevertheless, the ugliness of the Chiefs’ offensive slog towards the Giants left so much to be desired shifting ahead.
“Good win to get, specifically if you haven’t had one,” head coach Andy Reid stated after.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed the sport 22-of-37 for 224 yards and one landing, with an 85.9 passer ranking. He has but to interrupt a passer ranking of 90.0 up to now this season, regardless of boasting a profession mark of 101.8 earlier than Sunday.
And his so-so sport didn’t essentially come towards an ideal protection — Mahomes’s passing complete and 6.1 yards per try have been each the bottom for any quarterback who has performed New York this 12 months.
Total, via three video games, Mahomes’s passer ranking, yards per try and completion proportion would all be profession lows in the event that they carried via for the remainder of the season.
“I really feel like we have been shifting the ball the appropriate manner,” Mahomes stated postgame. “Now we have to wash stuff up and get higher and higher.”
He added: “For us, simply executing all the best way all through a drive and seeing that, that’s what we need to be. Now we have to proceed to try this extra usually.”
To be truthful, Mahomes’s receiving corps nonetheless leaves so much to be desired, even when Tyquan Thornton had some good moments within the second half towards the New York. Kansas Metropolis nonetheless doesn’t have a participant with over 100 yards receiving in a single sport but up to now this 12 months.
Travis Kelce, as soon as one of many league’s most feared tight ends, has 10 catches for 134 yards via three video games. He’s on tempo for 759 yards receiving this season, which might be the bottom mark of his profession, one 12 months after he set a brand new profession low in 2024. (And that’s with the latest good thing about a seventeenth regular-season sport.)
Maybe in an try to fireplace him up, Reid was caught in a heated dialog with Kelce late within the second quarter, with him and the tight finish bumping chests.
“He’s a passionate man and I really like that half,” Reid stated of the alternate. “I’ve been via quite a lot of issues with him, that’s all a part of it. I really like that he likes to play the sport.”
The offense wasn’t alone in its struggles, because the Chiefs’ miscues prolonged to the entire crew.
Harrison Butker missed a number of kicks, together with a area objective and an additional level.
Kansas Metropolis dedicated eight penalties for 85 yards, together with a number of on a first-half drive that led to a Giants landing.
It wasn’t precisely a sterling effort from the Chiefs, who have been bailed out largely because of two Russell Wilson interceptions — in addition to a weird resolution by Wilson to seemingly throw away the ball on a late 4th-and-goal.
“We’ve been looking for one win and take a look at to determine how we will get this factor going,” linebacker Nick Bolton stated. “The principle factor now’s simply preserve working, preserve stacking and attempt to get one other, then get one other win.”
For now, Kansas Metropolis is actually comfortable to return away with a victory. However it’s onerous to think about the crew rising to the highest of the AFC with extra performances like Sunday’s.
Solely two of the Chiefs’ subsequent eight opponents have a report underneath .500, and each of these contests shall be towards divisional rivals. In the meantime, over the following two months, Kansas Metropolis must play the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Payments, Washington Commanders and the at present undefeated Indianapolis Colts, all of whom have been way more spectacular early within the season.
Finally, the Chiefs took care of enterprise towards a lesser foe on Sunday. If Kansas Metropolis continues on its present trajectory, nevertheless, it nonetheless doesn’t appear like the sort of crew that might reside as much as its previous success.
