Kansas City's Passing Game Made Some Strides In Denver Loss

In his sterling eight-and-a-half seasons as the Kansas City Chiefs' starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes' truly terrible performances have been few and very far between.

One of those, though, had come recently, on Oct. 25, when he completed 19 of 33 passes and managed just 165 yards through the air as the Chiefs were routed 20-3 by the Seattle Seahawks, which brought an abrupt and emphatic end to their five-game winning streak to open the 2026 season.

Inquiring minds were then wondering how Mahomes - and the Chiefs - would rebound when they traveled to Denver to face the Broncos on Sunday with first place in the AFC West on the line.

While Sunday's performance might not be described as vintage Mahomes - he only had six yards rushing when so many of his best games see him make a difference on the ground as well as through the air - it was a performance that is easily the equal of Week 2 when he led the Chiefs to a 33-30 overtime defeat of the Indianapolis Colts.

You have to keep in mind that Mahomes had staked the Chiefs to a 24-13 with just less than two minutes left in the third quarter courtesy of a drive that was one of Kansas City's most impressive of the season.

Starting at his own 37 with seven minutes left in the third frame, Mahomes completed a series of pinpoint passes to Rashee Rice - who made a triumphant return to the lineup - Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Kenneth Walker III and Cyrus Allen, the last of which set the Chiefs up at the Denver four from where Mahomes connected with Gray to make it an 11-point game with 1:43 left in the third.

The six completions to five different receivers was the embodiment of Mahomes' play throughout the game as nine different players caught passes, with Rice - who was back after a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury - hauling in seven for 53 yards and a TD, while rookie running back Emmett Johnson had a star-making five catches for 128 yards, including a 73-yard scoring catch and run.

Kelce also had five grabs for 67 yards and Walker added four for 15 as Mahomes effectively spread the ball around the entire game, which was something he had not been able to easily do with Rice and fellow wideout Tyquan Thornton out of action since getting hurt on Oct. 4 in the 30-27 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Mahomes also looked like he would be able to piece together a prime comeback drive as he moved the Chiefs from their 44 to the Denver one for a fourth-down play with four seconds remaining. Mahomes actually did find a wide-open Rice for the winning score, but a false start penalty erased the play and when Mahomes was subsequently sacked, the Broncos (6-2) escaped with a 28-24 victory that throws the AFC West wide open as the halfway point of the 2026 season approaches.

Winning, of course, is the goal, but Mahomes' performance - 30-for-41, 321 yards, three TDs, 0 interceptions - as well as the beginning of what may be a receiver revival with the return of Rice (and the rumors still flying that the Chiefs could add to the WR room before the Nov. 10 trade deadline) indicate that there were some positives to take from a devastating loss.

Another apparent positive is that Kansas City's next three games are home tilts with the New York Jets (Nov. 8) and Arizona Cardinals (Nov. 22) sandwiched around a trip to Atlanta (Nov. 15), three teams that are a combined 8-16 at this point of the season.