Chiefs' Mahomes Turns Page Toward the Lions

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke at the podium before Wednesday’s practice. The Chiefs (2-3) are hosting the Lions (4-1) on Sunday Night Football (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan).

To view his comments, watch below.

On to what he attributes the team’s uncharacteristic 0-3 record in one-score games:

“Yeah, I mean, you said it pretty much, execution, just little things here and there. We're just not making winning football plays in certain moments. … The interception in the red zone that I throw, I mean, that's a 14-point swing.

“And so I feel like we've played better these last few weeks, but in this league, it's going to come down to one-score games. That's what Coach Reid preaches right when we start off training camp every single year, and it's about who executes at a higher level. And we haven't done that as a team throughout these first five-six weeks.

trevor lawrenc — Oct 6, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) scores a touchdown against Kansas City Chiefs safety Jaden Hicks (21) during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

On carrying forward impressive offensive numbers despite the loss:

“Yeah, I mean, obviously there's positives on how we've progressed as an offense, but like I said, I think more than anything, it's about making winning plays. And so, in years past, we might not have had so much success offensively, but we've made those winning plays whenever it's counted.

“And so, I think that we have to get back to doing that. I mean, obviously we want the offense to continue to progress, but when we get these high-leverage, high, intense moments, we gotta execute at a higher level. And that starts with me, and it kind of feeds throughout the rest of the team.”

patrick mahomes, aidan hutchinso — Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) looks to tackle Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On noting Monday that three losses are too many, and how he sees this game:

“Yeah, it's extremely important. I mean, there's no way around it. This is a really good football team that we're going to play. They play extremely hard, and they have a mentality that they're going to come in and win a football game. And so, we have to match that intensity. We have to match that mentality. And then knowing that, it's going to take our best football. Everybody, offense, defense and special teams, and we got to go out there and prove it on Sunday. And so, we got to start off with a great week of practice, and then come in with the mentality that we're going to find a way, no matter how it looks, that we're going to find a way to get a win.”

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scores a rushing touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On whether Andy Reid has told him to avoid making tackles after interceptions:

“He's never told me anything like that. I mean, regardless, I'm a football player more than a quarterback, and I got to find a way to tackle the guy, or at least slow him down so other guys can get there. And playing that quarterback position, after interceptions, I mean, first off, it's your mistake. So, you gotta find a way to limit the mistake, and then you're kind of in that safety-type position where it's kind of you and then no one else.

“And so, got to be better in that situation, obviously, and try to slow him down. If I get a hand on him or anything like that, just so someone else can get there and make that tackle and let our defense bail us out of a bad mistake.”

On what he saw on the first long pass to Tyquan Thornton against cover zero:

“Yeah, we knew they had some kind of different fronts there in that third-and-medium-type range, and we had a good plan for it. They actually gave us an unscouted look in that situation as well. That's why they kind of got a guy through there. But we knew when they did that, they kind of, they leveled, flat footed, kind of thinking the ball’s gonna come out fast.

“And I've always been of the mindset if they're going to blitz, we got to be aggressive and throw the ball down the field. That’s your best opportunity to do that, and so give a guy a chance down the field. And Tyquan, I didn't get far enough, but Tyquan did a great job coming back and adjusting to the ball and making a play.”

devin lloyd, patrick mahome — Oct 6, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd returns and interception for a touchdown against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

On whether he’s still seeing unscouted looks from defenses:

“I mean, everybody always adjusts their stuff here and there. But I thought they did a good job. They gave a couple. I mean, really, I think it was about two of those, two unscouted looks that they had situationally. And that's what defenses are going to do. It's about you being able to adjust on the fly and be able to make the right protection calls and stuff like that.

“And so, that happens every game. I think that it was just big moments where it was a big play, one our way and one their way, with the unscouted looks.”

patrick mahome — Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Dennis Gardeck (47) pressures Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On whether he saw Thornton make the catch:

“I didn't see it necessarily land, but I could see he came up with the catch. I don’t know how to explain it, I kind of can see through people's feet and stuff like that, he caught the ball. So, just giving guys chances down the field. We had talked about it all week. I told the guys, if they bring the pressure in this situation, I'm gonna throw the ball down the field and let y'all make a play. And they, he accepted that challenge and went up there and made a play.”

On the sensation of being on the ground when a catch is made:

“I think you kind of get used to it at quarterback. A lot of times you're throwing the ball, you're getting hit, you're trying to hang onto the last possible second. … I've never even thought of it honestly, so it usually is where I am at whenever a big play happens.”

On Detroit defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard:

yeah, no, I think he does a great job of the game planning, kind of like we're talking about. Doing stuff that's specific to each and every team. He puts his guys in position so they can play fast and play hard, and you can tell they respect him by how hard they do play. And so, if that's being a former player, whatever it is, he gets the best out of his guys. And so, it'll be a great challenge for us. We got to match the intensity. We got to match that, match the intensity of going up against a Detroit Lions football team and a Detroit Lions defense. And so, it'll be a great challenge for us.”

On the intensity and production in the running game Monday:

“Yeah, for sure. I mean, when we're able to run the ball like that, and then being able to play-action and do bootlegs and stuff like that off of the run game, it really just opens up the entire offense. And I thought both those guys, all three of them (Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Brashard Smith), ran really hard when they got the ball in their hands.

“And so. it's just finding ways to put them in positions to succeed. I thought the offensive line did a great job; you can tell their chemistry, because pass blocking is one thing, but run blocking, it's like chemistry and trading on blocking, you can tell that stuff's building with time and with more and more reps. And so, I think we'll continue to get better and better as the season goes on, and those guys will continue to have more and more success.”

kareem hun — Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) rushes for yards during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On whether he wants to be this team's leading rusher:

“However we win football games. I don't care how that looks, but it doesn't look like that's helping us right now. So, if other guys get running, and we start winning football games, I'll take that.”

Other than the record, on the offensive trajectory:

“We're getting better. I mean, that's all that all you can do is, we're getting better and better. And obviously, we got one more week to continue that without Rashee (Rice), and we’ll just get him into the offense as well. But at the end of the day, it's all about winning. And so, I think if we can start making those winning plays, that's the last step that we need in order to take our offense to the next level.”

On Chris Jones deleting his social media, and what advice he has for younger players:

“Yeah. I mean, it can be toxic, for sure, I mean, being on social media and seeing stuff. But I mean to me, at the end of the day, I know who I am, and I know the amount of work that I put in, and I can live with myself and live with the results. And so, I feel like, if you're putting in the work and you're doing whatever you can to leave everything on the football field, you can live with the results of a win, loss or whatever anyone has to say.

“Because you know the type of effort that you're putting in every single day. And so, stay off it as much as possible. And then, if you are going to be on, I would use it as motivation more than anything.”

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