Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he needs to work on his consistency after a crushing 22-19 loss to the AFC West rival Broncos on Sunday that put Kansas City’s playoff hopes at risk.
During his press conference after the game, the three-time Super Bowl champ shouldered the blame for “putting the ball in harm’s way” in Denver.
“I think we’re really talented and we’ve got a lot of great players, but it’s about being more consistent. I think it starts with me,” Mahomes said. “There’s times where I’m firing and we’re moving the ball down the field at ease. But there’s times where we go in spurts where I miss a throw or a [pass] protection call. We haven’t been consistent enough to win games. It starts with me.”
Mahomes had multiple missed throws and he specifically took responsibility for a third quarter interception in the red zone by Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian.
“You can’t do it,” the quarterback said of the pass to running back Elijah Mitchell. “I just didn’t throw it high enough. [McMillian] jumped up and made a good play. I’ve made that throw before, but with the type of game we’re in, don’t put the ball in harm’s way. Take the three points and move on to the next possession.”
The Chiefs are 0-5 in one-score games this season after going 12-0 in games decided by 8 points or fewer last season.
“It sucks,” Mahomes said. “Don’t get me wrong. You got to feel that, but you got to be able to kind of use that energy to push it into the next week, into the rest of the season, and all you can focus on is the next game. You get another opportunity to go out there and prove yourself.
“We’ve been losing these close games recently, but we’ve played some good football in spurts. It’s just about being more consistent, and until we go out there and do it, all you can do is just keep saying, keep practicing and getting better and better and push yourself to go out there and do it on game day.”
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The Chiefs punted on their final two possessions as the Broncos kicked two field goals to turn a three-point deficit into a three-point win.
With less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter, Denver quarterback Bo Nix connected on a 32-yard pass to wideout Troy Franklin that put the Broncos at the Kansas City 15 to set up Will Lutz’s 35-yard game-winning kick.
The Broncos (9-2) sit atop the AFC, tied with the Patriots, entering their bye week.
The Chiefs are 5-5 and a game out of the playoff picture. They host the Colts (8-2) next Sunday. The Chiefs have not missed the playoffs since 2014.
“It’s going to be tough to get back in the division race,” Mahomes said. “The goal is to get into the playoffs and try to make a run at it. We’ve got to learn from this one as much as possible, knowing we’re going to get a great opponent [in the Colts] coming into Arrowhead next week.
“We’re kind of at that point where we’ve got to find a way to win games.”
