The Kansas City Chiefs may have lost to the Detroit Lions on Saturday, but the result was overshadowed by Patrick Mahomes‘ magical play of the day in his final drive of the game late in the first quarter.
The three-time Super Bowl champion came up with an unexpected behind-the-back pass, with ended in an eight-yard completion for Travis Kelce. That gave a lot to talk about, with Andy Reid making it clear to Mahomes these trick plays won’t bother him as long as they finish in a completion.
The 28-year-old, however, had something else to talk about after the game. Speaking to the media this week, Mahomes has highlighted his connection with Chiefs young wideouts Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice on Saturday’s loss.
“It was super important,” Mahomes said of connecting with Worthy early in Kansas City’s loss to Detroit. “Obviously, you saw that we were kind of majoring in that early. Trying to get him some routes where he can go out there and win and then getting Rashee [Rice] involved a little bit.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on before the game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.
“You [have] got to find the right balance because you want to not put them in too much harm’s way, but you want them to go out there and get some confidence going. I was glad to get both those guys going early. Obviously, you want to score touchdowns. I thought we did good drives – kind of stalled out there in the red zone.”
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After leading the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Bowl wins, Mahomes is looking to go one step further in 2024 as he aims to help Kansas City pull off an unprecedented three-peat in NFL history.
Since the unit struggled big time last year, the front office has made interesting additions at wide receiver aiming to help their star quarterback bring yet another Vince Lombardi trophy home.
Apart from landing Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown – who is recovering from injury – in free agency, the team traded up in the 2024 NFL Draft to get Worthy in the first round.
Therefore, these preseason games are important for Mahomes to get in rythm with his new weapon, who is also making his first steps in the NFL. Rice, meanwhile, may have already shone last season, but also has a long way to go in the league.
