Eight weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs are the only undefeated team in the league. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes knows that the entire squad deserves credit for this perfect start, even if he and tight end Travis Kelce often draw more attention than other players.
“In a bad situation, that whole entire unit stepped up when their number was called to make a big-time stop,” Mahomes said about the Chiefs‘ defense. “That’s what it takes from great football teams. It takes greatness from everybody; it can’t be one guy. That’s what’s made us so great for so long. Throughout my career, it’s not all about me. It’s not all about Trav. It’s about this entire team. That’s what makes it so special.”
On Sunday, the Chiefs picked up their seventh win of the 2024 NFL season by beating division rivals Las Vegas Raiders 27-20 on the road. In the third quarter of the game, the defense came up with a big play in the red zone.
Following a deflected pass from Mahomes that ended in an interception, Las Vegas had the ball at the Chiefs’ three-yard line. Still, Steve Spagnuolo’s boys held the opponents to zero points on that possession.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers 17-10 at SoFi Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid admitted Mahomes’ offense put the defense in a tough spot, so he gave the unit its flowers: “Offensively, we put the defense in a bad position. But we held up as a defense. We came out and put our foot down and did a nice job there. That was important.”
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The Chiefs’ win on Sunday saw DeAndre Hopkins make his debut with Mahomes and company, with the wideout recording two catches for 29 yards. But his biggest contribution was helping Kelce make 10 receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.
The passing game clearly worked, but Kansas City also ran the ball when needed. Kareem Hunt amassed 59 yards on 21 carries, with Mahomes also gaining 17 yards on six rushing attempts.
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Unsurprisingly, Mahomes made sure to recognize the effort from all of his teammates: “I think guys just did their job. I don’t think it was one [thing] or another. I mean, we ran it sometimes; I ran it sometimes. We threw the ball when we needed to throw the ball. That [Las Vegas] defense has a lot of different coverages. Guys were able to recognize the coverages and execute at a high level. I thought we played a pretty good football game offensively.”
