Patrick Mahomes, Offense Recover Despite Early Miscues Against Miami
The first quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs' 33-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins could have been the worst stretch of football of quarterback Patrick Mahomes' young career.
But despite the miscues, the offense was still able to put enough points on the board to capture the win and the AFC West title for the fifth-straight season.
Mahomes has talked about his team's ability to win games in different fashions all season and after Sunday's game, his message was no different. The 25-year-old quarterback said after the game the win speaks for the team's talent on all three phases of the game.
"It says a lot about this football team in general," Mahomes said. "It talks about how it's not just an offense, it's not just a defense, it's not just special teams. We're a complete football team that just finds ways to win in every single way."
The first quarter wasn't kind to the Chiefs' quarterback as Mahomes struggled to get going early. In addition to two interceptions, Mahomes mishandled a snap and took a 30-yard sack. Mahomes finished the game completing 24 of 34 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions.
He took the blame for his lapses in the first quarter but complimented the defense after the game as Mahomes said the defensive unit kept them in the game until the offense could figure things out.
"You saw in that first half, it's 87 degrees outside and I'm putting the defense back on the field over and over again and they're finding ways to get stops and keep us in the ball game so the offense can get going," Mahomes said. "It just shows we've got a veteran group of guys that really understand that we just have to make sure that we keep each other accountable and keep playing for the guys next to you and we can keep finding ways to win football games."
The Chiefs' schedule doesn't get any easier as they travel to New Orleans to tangle with the Saints. The game is slated for a 3:25 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 20.
