The Kansas City Chiefs have set some high standards for themselves over the last several years, a stretch where Super Bowl appearances have become the norm.
But the team fell short of those standards in a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Patrick Mahomes warned.
The Chiefs quarterback assigned blame after the team’s 27-21 loss to the Chargers in Brazil, a game in which the Chiefs suffered from mistakes and missed opportunities. Mahomes told reporters after the game that the Chargers came into the game with more intensity, giving his team a warning for the coming season.
Chiefs Couldn’t Match the Energy
Mahomes pointed a finger at Kansas City’s offense, which struggled to move the ball through the first half. Though the team was hit with an early loss when wide receiver Xavier Worthy suffered a shoulder injury while colliding with Travis Kelce during a route, Mahomes said it was a lack of energy that did them in.
“They came out with more energy than we did, their defense than our offense,” Mahomes said, via Pro Football Talk.
Mahomes said the Chiefs came into the game well-prepared, but didn’t have the right “mindset” once the game started. He warned that the team will struggle this year if they don’t learn from the loss and make a change.
“I thought we had energy at practice yesterday and all throughout the week, but if you don’t come out with the right mindset, you get beat,” Mahomes said. “The Chargers came out with the right mindset, and they beat us. . . . They definitely came out with more energy than we did. In this league, everybody’s too good for you to not match the energy of our opponent, so I think we learned a valuable lesson.”
Andy Reid Shares Sentiment
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also called out the team’s lack of focus and energy, saying it was particularly evident in the first half. The Chargers outgained the Chiefs 211 yards to 133 in the first half, but went into the break with just a 13-6 lead as the Chiefs were able to get a field goal in the closing seconds.
Reid echoed the statement from Mahomes that the opening loss could be a wake-up call for the team.
“We can learn from this as we move forward,” Reid said. “I’ve got to make sure I get my team in a better state there coming out, playing with more emotion. We were a little flat that first half, and that cost us.”
The Chiefs made some costly mistakes, including a missed touchdown to Kelce and a missed extra point that would have tied the game and instead had them chasing points in the second half.
Reid said that if the Chiefs could have come out sharper in the first half, they could have won the game.
“The first half we were off a bit, and then the second half it picked up a bit,” Reid said. “I’ve got to make sure that we start faster… I’ve got to make sure that we come out with better emotion… I thought they did a better job in that area.”
