I guess the news of the Chiefs’ demise was greatly exaggerated. I’ve said it all season long: as long as the Chiefs have #15, I wouldn’t panic. I’m not sure how people could count out the Chiefs while #15 is still at the helm. It’s no secret that as Patrick Mahomes goes, so go the Chiefs. Therefore, a critical element to the team’s overall success is the performance of the offense, which starts and ends with Mahomes. Mahomes and the offense seemingly woke up against the Baltimore Ravens. One of the main reasons for this resurgence was the superb play of the Chiefs’ offensive line.
It certainly helped that the Ravens’ defensive line was heavily depleted by injuries. Nnamdi Madubuike and Broderick Washington Jr. (both placed on injured reserve prior to the game) and Travis Jones were all out. For their defense as a whole, Kyle Van Noy missed his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Furthermore, during the game, the Ravens lost Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, and Roquan Smith to injuries, eventually resulting in the loss of four total starters. This certainly played a factor in the Chiefs’ offensive success.
Chiefs offense awakens behind Patrick Mahomes, strong line play, and Xavier Worthy’s big return.
However, I’ve always believed that the key to returning the offense to prominence was keeping Mahomes clean and upright. This affords him the necessary time to get through his reads and progressions to find open receivers and take downfield shots.
As a result, the offensive line played exceptionally well against the Ravens. Notably, rookie Kingsley Suamataia didn’t allow a single pressure all day, the very first game of this magnitude in his career. Likewise, Jawaan Taylor went the entire game without being called for a single penalty. Protecting Mahomes and allowing him to set his feet and deliver the ball is a key element to offensive success. This effective protection led to an offense that scored on seven of its first eight possessions.
In fact, Matt Araiza, the Chiefs’ punter, didn’t see any action until the fourth quarter.
This offensive explosion coincided with the return of Xavier Worthy, who had a profound impact, gaining 121 total yards on impactful plays. Mahomes taking deep shots to him—even those that didn’t connect—puts the defense on notice and affects the outcome of the overall game. Simply stated, the offense is just different with Worthy in the lineup. Additionally, the Chiefs’ defense generated multiple turnovers, giving Mahomes more opportunities.
Mahomes didn’t have to lead the Chiefs in rushing on this day, allowing him to control the game from the pocket. He finished the day 25 of 37 for 270 yards and 4 touchdowns. Also noteworthy is that the offense took many shots down the field, which, I believe, opened up the running game for the Chiefs. After all, a running game is a quarterback’s best friend. Overall, the defense, offensive line play, running game, and the health of the skill players are all contributing factors to Mahomes playing well.
The great news is that the Chiefs are 2-2, the offense is getting healthier, and Brashard Smith is getting more opportunities to be a big-play threat out of the backfield. All of this bodes well for the Chiefs’ offense going forward. If everyone remains healthy and the offensive line continues to protect Mahomes, they are likely to return to yet another AFC title game. As history has shown, Mahomes has willed this team to prominence when it matters the most. I would bet on him doing it again.