Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has faced plenty of defensive puzzles in his career, but on Monday night, one mistake, a 99-yard pick-six proved costly.
Mahomes Admits mistakes in Chiefs’ defeat
Mahomes didn’t hesitate to shoulder the blame after a stunning 28–31 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
The Chiefs, coming off a two-game winning streak, seemed poised to extend their momentum on Monday Night Football. But a game that began with promise ended in frustration, capped by Trevor Lawrence’s one-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds remaining that sealed the Jaguars’ comeback win.
Worst start to the season in 14 years
The defeat left Kansas City with a 2–3 record, their worst start since 2011, when the franchise finished 7–9 and missed the playoffs.
“Yeah, I mean, honestly, they got me with the coverage that they played,” Mahomes said postgame. “They had played (cover) zero kind of inside that 10-yard area in previous games, and they hadn’t shown the poppers with the linebackers popping out when they’re protected. So, credit to them, it was a great defensive call and a great play by zero (Devin Lloyd).”
Mahomes, who completed 29 of 41 passes for 318 yards, one touchdown and one interception, said he thought the Jaguars were in a look he could exploit.
“I think back to a game against Cincinnati earlier in the year, Ja’Marr Chase, kind of on a slant route,” he explained. “So I saw the look, I checked the play with the end routes having three ends, knowing that they were trying to pass off the guys, and JuJu (Smith-Schuster) was going to pop wide open — and he did.”
Instead, Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd jumped the route at the goal line, intercepting the ball and racing 99 yards to the opposite end zone. The pick-six gave Jacksonville its first lead of the night.
Mahomes gives credit
“Credit to them,” Mahomes said. “They schemed it well and popped right underneath where I was throwing the ball. Obviously, I’ve got to find a way to tackle him or slow him down after he gets the interception.”
The Jaguars came into Week 5 leading the NFL in takeaways, and they once again proved opportunistic on defense, making Mahomes pay for a rare misread.
Penalties Compound Chiefs’ Problems
If the pick-six was the turning point, Kansas City’s lack of discipline only deepened the hole. Coach Andy Reid’s team was penalized 13 times for 109 yards, the most in a single game since their legendary 54–51 shootout loss to the Los Angeles Rams in 2018, when they committed 13 fouls for 135 yards.
Two of Monday night’s penalties were costly pass interference calls that set up Jacksonville touchdowns. Wide receiver Hollywood Brown was flagged for unnecessary roughness, while four penalties came on special teams, a phase usually regarded as a Chiefs strength.
“We obviously had 13 penalties to their four,” Reid said. “Whether I agree with them or don’t agree with them, it doesn’t matter. They called them. When you have that many penalties, you give up field position. You can out-stat them to death, but it’s the score that matters, and we’ve got to take care of business there.”
Despite the setbacks, the Chiefs actually outgained the Jaguars in total offense, but turnovers and penalties proved too heavy a burden.
Kansas City will now look to regroup as they host the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, a battle between two 15-win teams from the 2024 season.
Main Image: Morgan Tencza – Imagn Images
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