How Bills Rookie Helped Chiefs Better Prepare for Broncos

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday he stays away from all forms of gambling. Then, he thanked Maxwell Hairston for showing his cards.

“I appreciate the info,” Mahomes said with a deadpan tone, telling the Bills rookie he should’ve keep his cards closer to his shoulder pads.

Hairston, who picked off Mahomes in the fourth quarter and helped hold the quarterback to a career-low completion percentage, provided Tyler Dunne some insider information. Hairston said he meticulously studied Xavier Worthy’s film throughout the week, and noticed tendencies that tipped off his routes.

“I didn't necessarily see it,” Mahomes said, “but I mean, obviously, if he said it, he saw something. And so, we'll be better at looking at things like that.”

In the big picture

Obviously, the Chiefs care more about winning the tournament than winning a single hand, and their 28-21 loss at Buffalo Nov. 2 came at a good time. Thanks to the timing of Hairston’s revealing comments, Kansas City got extra time to remove any of those tells during the bye week.

“We're always trying to help our guys out with tendencies,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Thursday, “not just schematically, but what they're doing as well. So, the guys know it. We do that every week. And I don't know where he was coming from with that, other than just saying what he felt. And so, let's be able to stay on top of that stuff, look at it and respect that.”

rashee ric — Oct 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) carries the ball against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Their respect for the Broncos defense is 5,280 feet high entering Sunday’s clash (3:25 p.m. CT, CBS/KCTV, Channel 5, 96.5 The Fan). Denver (8-2) leads the league in sacks, and 16 players have at least a share of a sack this season. That’s more than the team totals of four clubs (Cincinnati has only 13 as a team, while Baltimore, San Francisco and Jacksonville each have 12 overall sacks).

Defense, too

That means any miniscule edge the Chiefs (5-4) can gain in the passing game will be important on Sunday. And if Hairston’s comments can help Kansas City’s defense, too, that’s another tiny advantage.

jaylen watson, chamarri conne — Sep 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) celebrates with defensive back Chamarri Conner (27) after an interception in the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

“I mean, we're always looking for it,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said Thursday. “The best place to get a lot of that stuff is off the TV copy, the broadcast, especially verbal things. I don't know what it was. I don't know what they were talking about there, if anybody ever discovered it.

“But listen, our guys, like the back-end guys, are always studying wideout stances, how they align, their width alignment. How close are they to the numbers, etc., etc.”

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