Chiefs’ Passing Game Offered 1 Encouraging Sign in Monday’s Loss

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – When Xavier Worthy returned two weeks ago from a dislocated shoulder, he was the lead actor. Tyquan Thornton was in a supporting role.

But in Monday’s narrow loss at Jacksonville, the script was an ensemble cast. Both players had equal roles, and that’s good news for the Chiefs. Good news because they’ve developed a pick-your-poison offensive attack, with legitimate deep-threat weapons in Worthy and Thornton.

The Chiefs allowed a 14-0 lead to evaporate, largely thanks to 10 second-half penalties, but Kansas City can find plenty of offensive positives.

Chiefs had their first game ever with 300+ yards passing, 0 sacks taken, 7+ yards per carry last night. Only 7 other teams had done that in the Super Bowl era. (Those teams are now 4-4)
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 8, 2025

“I thought the offensive line did a great job,” said Patrick Mahomes, who wasn’t sacked in a loss for the first time since Sept. 7, 2023. “And when they're playing like that, it's easy for me to kind of survey the field and I was hitting guys that were second, third, fourth reads in the progression.

“And so, if they keep doing that, we'll keep putting up points. You know, we just got to find a way to win games there at the end.”

But before they reached that disappointing end, Thornton shined in the first half. Entering the locker room with a 14-7 lead, he was the Chiefs’ leading receiver with three catches for 90 yards. Those receptions represented three of Kansas City’s longest four plays from scrimmage, along with Kareem Hunt’s 33-yard run.

Thornton's three catches (90 yards)

Thornton got open on his first catch thanks to an impressive Mahomes adjustment. Against a zone look, the quarterback stepped up in the pocket to draw the Jaguars’ eyes then flipped a fast-break pass to Thornton for 24 yards.

Mahomes withstood a shot from safety Andrew Wingard on Thornton’s second catch. Facing third-and-9, Thornton worked back to the ball and adjusted to the underthrown pass. And unlike two weeks earlier in New York, he wasn’t about to lose another replay challenge. This time, Thornton secured his arms under the ball and replay upheld the call. Three plays later, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Chiefs a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

Thornton set up another touchdown in the second quarter, this time beating Tyson Campbell deep down the right sideline for 34 yards. The catch set up Kansas City with first-and-goal from the 9, and Mahomes ran in on the next play to put the Chiefs up 14-0.

“I feel like we'll continue to get better and better,” Mahomes added. “I thought we did a lot of great things in the game today. We moved the ball, we were able to score in the red zone and do what we wanted to do there. It's just we hurt ourselves with penalties. And so, I think as we continue to clean that stuff up, we'll continue to put more and more points on the board.”

28 points despite penalties

They put 28 on the board – with all those penalties – and they did it with both Thornton and Worthy. However, Mahomes and Thornton didn’t appear to be on the same page in the second half. The quarterback missed him on both targets after halftime.

But that’s also when Worthy jumped back into the fray. Worthy caught four for 41 in the second half. As the Chiefs approach their sixth and final game without Rashee Rice, who returns from suspension on Monday following Kansas City’s Sunday night showdown with the Lions, they can build on what they put on film last week.

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