Chiefs News: Patrick Mahomes wants to win games before the last play

On Sunday, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs as soon as once more did what they’ve finished so many different instances for the reason that stretch run of the 2023 season: discover a technique to win the sport. The Chiefs led the Carolina Panthers from the sport’s second minute all the way in which to the sport’s 58th minute — when the Panthers tied the sport at 27 with a two-point conversion.

However within the recreation’s ultimate two seconds, Kansas Metropolis’s substitute placekicker Spencer Shrader’s 31-yard subject objective sealed Kansas Metropolis’s 30-27 victory — it’s tenth of the season.

Chatting with reporters after the sport, head coach Andy Reid acknowledged there are many issues that the group wants to enhance on each offense and protection. However at the least one factor went exactly how offensive coordinator Matt Nagy wished it: the offense scored a landing on the opening drive.

“Offensively, the fellows began quick,” famous Reid. “They’d made a degree [of] that; Matt had made that a large emphasis this week. The blokes adopted with it — and did some good issues there. However we acquired to maintain constructing on it. We are able to’t take performs away from ourselves; it’s an excessive amount of.”

There was one other shiny spot: for the second straight recreation, tight finish Noah Grey scored two touchdowns. On the primary one — the third offensive play of the sport — he discovered himself on their own within the secondary. On the second, he needed to make a contested catch behind the tip zone.

“Pat made an important throw,” mentioned Reid, “and [Gray] made a pleasant transfer on the prime of it; [he’s got a] massive physique. Pat put it up the place solely he might get it. And I assumed Noah used his physique nicely to guard the ball.”

However in the end, the play labored as a result of quarterback Patrick Mahomes was well-prepared.

“I used to be capable of see by the way in which they lined up [that] they have been entering into their Cowl 0 look,” mentioned Mahomes of the landing play. “[I] simply alerted the fellows — to ensure they noticed what I noticed — and gave the ‘test’ on the line of scrimmage. Then you definately [have to] belief your man to go on the market and make a play — and simply put it up there.”

That landing gave the Chiefs a 20-6 lead with 44 seconds left within the first half. However Carolina saved combating — after which with 48 seconds left within the recreation, Mahomes took it upon himself to make the play that mattered probably the most: an excellent 33-yard scramble down the left sideline that put Kansas Metropolis nicely inside subject objective vary.

Mahomes is glad that his ankle is feeling higher.

“I believe I at all times say adrenaline will get you thru it,” he mentioned, “however it’s serving to quite a bit once you get just a little bit more healthy and you’ll sort of get your physique again into it. A credit score to the coaching workers: they stayed on prime of me about being in there as a lot as potential. I lastly was capable of get off [the injury] record this final week — and sort of get again to simply my regular routine. And we went on the market and made one thing occur.”

Many anticipated that in opposition to the Panthers — who got here into the matchup with a 3-7 file — the Chiefs would dominate Sunday’s recreation. However Mahomes believes that video games like it’s going to ultimately assist the group within the season’s most necessary contests.

“You at all times wish to have some blowouts; you wish to be just a little calmer within the fourth quarter,” he defined. “However I’ve at all times mentioned it may be an excellent factor as you get to the playoffs and later within the season, simply understanding that you just’ve been in these moments earlier than and understanding tips on how to sort of assault it play-by-play — and never making it too massive of a second.

“However I’d [also] say I’d like to win a recreation not by the final play.”

The Chiefs perceive how necessary it’s to peak on the proper time.

“It’s all about getting higher,” declared Mahomes. “That’s one of the best factor about taking part in within the NFL. It’s by no means the group that’s taking part in the start of the season one of the best — [it’s the team] taking part in one of the best on the finish of the season. It’s about simply continuously getting higher.

“It’s going to be a grind — and I believe we’ve finished an important job with that. Coach Reid does an important job of planning it in order that we’re taking part in our greatest soccer on the finish of the yr.

“And there’s quite a bit to study from immediately; there’s good [and] there’s dangerous. We’ve acquired to simply return and study from that. After which know that we’ve got a brief week [to prepare for] a hungry soccer group — the Raiders — coming to our home.”