Patrick Mahomes is aware that he needs to improve. Do not fret.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champions are still unblemished because of a few oppressive stands by Kansas City's defense.
In the final minutes, the Chief's defense stopped Atlanta twice on fourth down. Mahomes overcame another interception to toss two touchdown passes and preserve a 22-17 victory over the Falcons on Sunday night.
“It helps when you have a defense that’s been in those moments before and can make those big plays,” Mahomes said. “It’s a team game and we’re winning games, and I feel like we’re gonna start getting better and better every week.”
Mahomes puts the most emphasis on himself when he says that the Chiefs (3-0) haven't been flawless, but their record hasn't been marred by a combined 13 points.
The Falcons (1-2) had two chances in the final minutes to score the game-winning touchdown after winning unexpectedly at Philadelphia.
After the Falcons missed a chance at a field goal with just over 4 minutes left, Kirk Cousins threw two incomplete passes in the end zone from the Chiefs 6.
With a couple of penalties, Atlanta was able to regain possession of the ball, move down the field, and establish a third-and-one at the Kansas City 13-point. In the final minute, Nick Bolton threw a pass to Bijan Robinson for a 3-yard loss on fourth down after Tyler Allgeier was stuffed for no gain.
Before the Falcons snapped the ball, Bolton claimed to have known what play they were running.
“Trust my keys, trust my eyes, trust the play call we had,” he said. “I already knew where I was going.”
Rashee Rice and JuJu Smith-Schuster were among Mahomes' 217 yards of passing yardage, while Harrison Butker kicked three field goals to help the Chiefs win.
With a 13-yard touchdown pass to Drake London and a 50-yard completion to Kyle Pitts that set up Robinson's 1-yard scoring run, Cousins was 20 of 29 for 230 yards.
“I feel like we’ve left a lot of opportunities out there on the field,” Cousins said. “I look forward to getting better.”
The Falcons received the opening kick-off and promptly moved 70 yards for a score, capitalizing on the emotion from their thrilling last-second play against Philadelphia.
All five of Cousins' passes for 66 yards were completed, including a 14-yard scoring ball to Drake London, who also grabbed the game-winning touchdown against the Eagles. After the Chiefs broke their covering, London found itself all by itself in the end zone.
A 13-yard touchdown pass to Rice capped a 13-play, 79-yard drive that saw Mahomes recover from his fourth interception of the season.
After Cousins hit Kyle Pitts with a 50-yard pass, Robinson ran 1 yard for a score to give the Falcons the lead back.
However, right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman's ailments forced them to miss time, which hurt Atlanta's offensive line twice. After two backup quarterbacks joined their group, the guys up from found it difficult to maintain pressure on Cousins, who was hit ten times during the game and spent most of the evening cleaning himself off the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field.
Following one of those hits, Butker attempted a shaky ball that was intercepted by Chamarri Conner, cutting the Falcons' lead to 14-13 at the half.
Midway through the third quarter, Mahomes found Smith-Schuster for a 13-yard touchdown pass, extending Kansas City's advantage. Butker had earlier given the Chiefs a lead with a 21-yard chip shot.
Travis Kelce did not play a significant role for the third straight game. The standout tight end gained thirty yards on four receptions.
Replacing Running Backs
Isiah Pacheco, the running back for Kansas City, missed time due to an ankle injury, but his replacements performed admirably for the Chiefs.
Undrafted rookie Carson Steele led the way with 17 hard carries for 72 yards. Samaje Perine contributed three catches for fifteen yards and six carries for twenty-five yards.
“I had a lot of trust there,” Mahomes said. “You lose some of that juice that Isaiah has. I mean, there are not a lot of people who are fired up after every run. But I thought the guys did a great job.”
Contentious No Call
The Chiefs may have gotten away with a pass interference penalty against the Falcons after a contentious one on fourth-and-long set up their victory over Cincinnati the week before.
When Kansas City had a third-and-goal situation, Cousins turned to face Pitts in the end zone. Safety Bryan Cook seemed to run into Pitts with his back to the quarterback right before the ball was delivered.
However, there was no flag raised by the officials, and Cousins' fourth-down pass was similarly incomplete.
“That is a real-time call that officials have to make a judgment on,” referee Tra Blake told a pool reporter. “We do the best we can to make that decision.”
Injuries
Chiefs: Following a rough landing early in the fourth quarter, Bolton staggered off the field, but he returned to make the crucial stop on Robinson.
Falcons: In the second quarter, Dalman and McGary were both substituted out. With a knee injury, McGary was taken off the pitch, and Storm Norton took his place. Due to an ankle injury, Dalman had to be replaced by Ryan Neuzil.
Up Next
Chiefs: Continue their road trip the following week as they travel to Los Angeles to play the Chargers (2-1) in an AFC West game on Sunday.
Falcons: When their NFC South foe, the New Orleans Saints (2-1), visit Atlanta next Sunday, they will play the second of three consecutive home games.
