The Kansas City Chiefs lost their first game of the season on Sunday. During a 30-21 defeat, Kansas City struggled on both offense and defense. The Bills took away some of the Chiefs' best players. And when it came down to it, Kansas City could not take advantage of opportunities that could have regained the lead.
One specific area that stood out from this loss is the performance of Patrick Mahomes. It was not the worst showing of the season for him. But in many instances, the pressure got to him. His throws lacked pinpoint accuracy in all four quarters. And most of all, some of the parts of his game that make Mahomes so great were absent in Buffalo.
Why were certain elements from Mahomes' game not coming to fruition? Plus, what did the Bills defense do to help mitigate some of those opportunities? Here are some takeaways from Patrick Mahomes after Sunday's game.
Lack Of 'Mahomes Magic'
Some of what makes Patrick Mahomes tremendous includes his ability to create out of structure. Beyond that, the Chiefs' signal-caller has seemingly been able to elevate poor pass-catching rooms around him. Mahomes simply did not successfully extend plays against the Bills, either.
When everything broke down around him in Buffalo, Mahomes was unable to provide the sort of 'Mahomes Magic' that we have become accustomed to in big games like this. Part of this was due to the pass rush lane integrity of Buffalo's EDGE players, highlighted in various points of the broadcast by Tony Romo. The Bills did not work too far upfield, containing Mahomes in the pocket and forced him to hold onto the ball.
In other moments, Mahomes seemed to leave some opportunities to utilize his legs on the table. There was one specific rep where he rolled right and appeared to fake out or juke around a Bills defensive lineman. But in the end, the Buffalo defender maintained his spot and forced the K.C. passer to throw it away. When it looked like he could step up or take off, Mahomes appeared to react late or just did not see the room to run.
Empty Day For Chiefs Top Weapons
Kansas City still ran the ball effectively at running back but when it came to the pass-catching group, the top weapons did little-to-no damage. DeAndre Hopkins, Travis Kelce, and JuJu Smith-Schuster combined for just six receptions, 45 receiving yards, and no touchdowns on nine targets. Hopkins had the most catches of that trio (three). Meanwhile, Kelce and Smith-Schuster had eight yards apiece.
Returning from injury, it was surprising to see Smith-Schuster only muster one target. That is especially true, when you consider how trusted he is by Mahomes against top defenses. Kelce has seen some unproductive outings this season. But, the inability to dial up some quick completions to him was disappointing.
It was good to see names like Xavier Worthy and Noah Gray have exciting moments. But in much of their touches, Mahomes either forced it to them down the field, or had to connect with them after a play had broken down. As good as Buffalo's defense is as executing, for Mahomes and his top weapons failing to connect as much as they did was stunning in this kind of matchup.
The Margin Of Comfort
Mahomes has shown some noticeable differences in recent memory. Comparing some of his best outings to some of his worst in the last couple of years centers back on one key element: the comfort that he has to play fast and let it fly.
Being able to rip it at a faster pace does not always mean attacking down the field. However, the difference in his timing and throwing with his chest, or throwing confidently, is a clear difference when things break down. Some of that could be attributed to struggles at offensive tackle. Some of that could be due to the lack of depth at pass catcher in certain outings. Additionally, there are just moments when he is forcing things when every other option is closed.
Though, he does not do that at a high rate, the last point mattered a lot more in the loss to the Bills. Mahomes' interception on the first drive just a couple of plays in was a clear difference in the first half. Kansas City was forced to crawl out of a hole right away because of it. On the other side, Mahomes can often grow too patient in the pocket waiting for something to develop. That late trigger has led to erratic deep field attempts and antsy footwork when opposing defenses make him more uncomfortable. The margin for error has been so thin in various points of the last two years, when measuring the overall comfort he is feeling.