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 unhealthy information? The Chiefs nonetheless hardly resemble the crew that has reached a minimum of the AFC Championship recreation yearly since 2018 — and their as soon as potent offense stays disjointed at greatest.
Getting into Week 3 with a 0-2 file, 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 rather a lot to be desired transferring ahead.
“Good win to get, specifically whenever 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 score. He has but to interrupt a passer score of 90.0 up to now this season, regardless of boasting a profession mark of 101.8 earlier than Sunday.
And his so-so recreation 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 yr.
Total, by means of three video games, Mahomes’s passer score, yards per try and completion proportion would all be profession lows in the event that they carried by means of for the remainder of the season.
“I really feel like we have been transferring the ball the suitable manner,” Mahomes stated postgame. “We now have to scrub 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. We now have to proceed to try this extra usually.”
To be honest, Mahomes’s receiving corps nonetheless leaves rather a lot 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 recreation but up to now this yr.
Travis Kelce, as soon as one of many league’s most feared tight ends, has 10 catches for 134 yards by means of three video games. He’s on tempo for 759 yards receiving this season, which might be the bottom mark of his profession, one yr after he set a brand new profession low in 2024. (And that’s with the latest good thing about a seventeenth regular-season recreation.)
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 by means of 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 discipline 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 on account 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 trying to find one win and take a look at to determine how we are able to get this factor going,” linebacker Nick Bolton stated. “The principle factor now could be simply hold working, hold stacking and attempt to get one other, then get one other win.”
For now, Kansas Metropolis is definitely glad to return away with a victory. Nevertheless 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 file below .500, and each of these contests might 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 presently undefeated Indianapolis Colts, all of whom have been far 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 to be the type of crew that would dwell as much as its previous success.
