KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the first time this season, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ended a play by taking his frustration out on the ball. He swung his arms and pounded the ball as hard as he could with both hands while shouting a four-letter expletive — “F—!”
The Arrowhead Stadium scoreboards still showed more than 10 minutes left in Friday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
At that moment, Mahomes knew this game was going to be similar to the one the Chiefs played five days earlier when they escaped with a three-point win over the Carolina Panthers — or earlier this month against the Denver Broncos or earlier this month against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or in their four September games.
Mahomes’ angry outburst Friday came in reaction to a by defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson less than three seconds after the ball was snapped on a pivotal third-and-goal play from the Raiders’ 5-yard line, resulting in a sack by defensive end Maxx Crosby. Mahomes screamed at the Chiefs’ sideline, in the direction of coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. Mahomes was sacked five times for the second time in five days.
“We know we have a long ways to go,” Mahomes said after the Chiefs’ 19-17 victory. “We’ve got to continue to work to get better going into the playoffs. … (We’re) not satisfied with where we’re at.”
.@Raiders pass rush coming up big today#LVvsKC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/hjmyuUozal— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024
Mahomes had a much different reaction when the outcome of Friday’s game was decided in the final seconds. He put his hands on his head, his facial expression stoic.
Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs watched the Raiders malfunction, costing them a chance to upset their archrival. With 15 seconds left, the Raiders had the ball on the Chiefs’ 32-yard line for a third-and-3 play. Even if the Raiders, who didn’t have a timeout, didn’t gain another yard, they still could have given kicker A.J. Cole an opportunity to win the game with a 49-yard field goal. Instead, miscommunication between quarterback Aidan O’Connell and rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson led to a botched snap, the play ending with linebacker Nick Bolton recovering the fumble.
“I think the crowd played a factor,” pass rusher Chris Jones said of Chiefs fans during an on-field TV interview. He later added: “I praise the crowd, man.”
GO DEEPER
NBC, Peacock announce EA Sports Madden NFL alt-cast
The game’s lone turnover was also a statistical anomaly: The Raiders became the first team since at least 2000 to commit a giveaway in the final 30 seconds when in field goal range (within the opponent’s 35-yard line or closer) and trailing by one or two points, according to the Associated Press.
“It was chaos,” safety Justin Reid said of the Raiders’ final play. “There’s no other way to describe it. That’s what makes football so fun: Anything can happen at any moment. You’ve just got to be prepared for the moment.
“The biggest strength that we have as a team is that despite whatever adversity or challenges we have throughout the game, guys still stick together and we believe and we find ways to win.”
What a WILD ending on Black Friday 👀 pic.twitter.com/JtYRVva6Zy
— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024
The Chiefs (11-1) became the first team to clinch a spot in the NFL postseason.
“We’re winning games, but we know we have to get better,” Mahomes said. “We want to go out there and do that and prove that. Our goal over these last few games is to prove the team that we believe we really are is playing like that throughout the playoffs.”
For that to happen, the Chiefs will need stability at one of the sport’s most important positions.
The Raiders (2-10), much like the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, attacked the Chiefs’ biggest weakness: left tackle, the lineman most responsible for protecting Mahomes’ blind side. Wanya Morris, the second-year left tackle who has played the past month with a right knee injury, struggled mightily in pass protection against Chaisson and Crosby.
“As an O-lineman, you’re going to have to play through things,” Morris said. “When Pat is getting hit back there, they’re not going to ask, ‘Oh, what’s wrong with Wanya?’ They’re going to ask, ‘OK, what’s the solution to the problem?’”
GO DEEPER
Inside the growth of Noah Gray, the Chiefs’ best offensive role player
Chaisson recorded a career-high eight pressures on 19 pass-rush snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. Five of Chaisson’s pressures, including each of his three quick pressures and a sack, were generated against Morris in just eight matchups. Morris allowed 11 pressures on 48 pass-blocking snaps, the most by a Chiefs left tackle in a game since he allowed 12 pressures in Week 16 of 2023, also against the Raiders.
“I’ve been throwing the single-hand (move) a lot,” Morris said. “It’s either I catch them or I don’t. I have to do better just throwing my hands and timing it better. The execution just wasn’t there. I have to be better.
“I can either lay down or I can get up and go back in (to the training facility) Monday and learn something new to get better. That’s what I’m going to do.”
K’Lavon Chaisson went right around him for the sack 😤#LVvsKC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4USUxl6YRg— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024
Morris, though, may have played his final significant snap of the season.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Chiefs replaced Morris, moving Joe Thuney from left guard to left tackle and inserting second-year player Mike Caliendo at left guard.
“I thought it was the right thing to do at that time,” coach Andy Reid said. “I talked to (offensive line coach) Andy (Heck) about it. He agreed with it, so we made that move.”
GO DEEPER
Russini’s what I’m hearing: Goff belief, Giant regrets and, maybe, the NFL’s first female GM
Even though the makeshift offensive line didn’t surrender a sixth sack, the Chiefs didn’t earn a first down on their final two possessions, punting the ball back to the Raiders each time after just three plays.
Before benching Morris, the Chiefs reached the red zone five times. They scored only one touchdown. Even that highlight included Mahomes getting hit by Chaisson, who beat Morris, while his pass resulted in a 6-yard touchdown to receiver Justin Watson.
“It’s just too many mistakes,” Mahomes said. “We didn’t execute enough on third down.”
🚨 FLOATER ALERT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/4qOHk2dJNF
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 29, 2024
Rookie Kingsley Suamataia, drafted in the second round to be an upgrade over Donovan Smith, started the first two games of the season at left tackle but struggled mightily and was benched in favor of Morris.
“Whoever is out there, I trust those guys to go out there and make it happen,” Mahomes said of his linemen. “I’ve seen those guys play and they’ve played at high levels. The coaches made a move and I thought the guys went in there and did a good job. I’ve got to trust (the protection). There’s times where I didn’t trust it there on that last drive.”
The Chiefs’ final hope at left tackle was on the sideline Friday wearing a red hoodie. D.J. Humphries, a 2021 Pro Bowler with the Arizona Cardinals, had been unsigned this season while recovering from a torn ACL. The Chiefs chose to sign Humphries, 30, over Smith, 31, according to a team source. Humphries will make $2 million for the rest of the season with a maximum value of $4.5 million, the source said.
Based on Friday’s game, the Chiefs will likely need Humphries, an eight-year veteran, to be ready to start on Dec. 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I’ve got full faith in the fact that this organization knows what to do with players and knows where to put them and put them in the roles they need to be,” Humphries said Wednesday. “All I’ve got to do is go on the field and be the best version of myself.”
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.
Sign Up
(Photo: David Eulitt / Getty Images)
