The true Kansas City story. The two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs just keep finding new ways to come out on top, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes keeps getting the most out of his skill guys and playmakers.
The superstar signal caller and 3-time Super Bowl MVP spreaded the wealth and completed passes to eight different receivers during Saturday afternoon’s 27-19 victory over the Houston Texans. Rookie Xavier Worthy led the way with seven receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Mahomes finished 28-of-41 for 260 yards, a touchdown and no picks, taking just one shot of punishment. He also ran the ball four times, despite his mild high ankle sprain that he suffered last Sunday, for 34 yards and a score.
But Worthy was his No. 1 target on Saturday and made his imprint on the game during a critical touchdown drive in the third quarter, accumulating four catches for 46 yards and an eight-yard TD.
Running back Kareem Hunt ran for a tough, hard-nosed 55 yards and another score, and Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown hauled in five catches for 45 yards for the Chiefs in his first game this season after recovering from a devastating shoulder injury.
“I ask a lot from the guys around me. I feel like if I’m going to ask them to play through pain and nicks and bruises, I’ve got to do it as well,” Mahomes said. “That’s something that I pride myself on is being out there with my guys.”
Embed from Getty ImagesTexans’ receiver Tank Dell, who had an awesome game catching six balls for 98 yards before everything went wrong. Dell was injured on the Texans’ opening drive of the third quarter with 11 minutes, 40 seconds to go. He sustained a gruesome knee injury on the play and was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center, 12 miles away, where Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said he would remain overnight.
“All our thoughts and prayers are with Tank right now. You see what he means to our entire team,” Ryans said. “It hurts to see him go down like that. He was having a fantastic game, playing really well for us.”
After the game, fans and media alike were impressed by both Worthy and the continued excellence of the 14-1 Chiefs.
The result was what Chiefs coach Andy Reid called his team’s most comprehensive performance of the season. As for his thoughts on Mahomes?
“He spoils the dog out of us, he’s so tough,” Reid said. “You get used to it. But most guys don’t come back from that like he did.”
The Chiefs, the two-time defending champions, have a feeling of invincibility about them this season. They continue to win tight games and have done so even dealing with injuries to key offensive playmakers at various points throughout the year.
Now they are a win or a Buffalo Bills loss away from clinching the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs and the all-important homefield advantage and bye week that goes with it. AFC contenders would rather not travel to Arrowhead Stadium in January; Mahomes is an incredible 10-2 at home in the playoffs over the course of his six-year career as a starter.
The emergence of the road runner Worthy has helped soften the blow of the injuries to Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown, the former out for the season and the latter sidelined until making his Chiefs’ debut on Saturday.
The Chiefs have kept on trucking, no matter who was available to go into battle with them. They have not always won pretty, but so long as they have the combination of Mahomes, Andy Reid and a stingy defensive unit, they will most likely continue their winning ways.
The Chiefs travel to Pittsburgh to take on Russell Wilson and the Steelers.
The Texans welcome Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens for the NFL’s twin bill on Christmas Day.
