ATLANTA – Another week, another close call.
That’s become quite the pattern for the Kansas City Chiefs as they roll down the path of attempting to become the NFL’s first three-peat Super Bowl champion. They are still perfect in one sense, as the 22-17 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night improved the record to 3-0.
But boy did they sweat it out again. This time, the outcome wasn’t decided until Nick Bolton blew up a run on fourth-and-1 at the Chiefs’ 13-yard line – dumping Bijan Robinson for a 3-yard loss – in the final minute at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It’s no wonder that Chiefs safety Justin Reid was in the boisterous visitor’s locker room afterward expressing context for what has become the team’s motto: Survive and Thrive.
“The NFL is the toughest sport in the world, and the margin between teams that win and lose is closer than it’s ever been,” Reid told USA TODAY Sports. “What great teams do, they find a way to win. Whatever it is. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It’s about letters.”
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As in W’s.
Each of the Chiefs’ games this season conceivably could wound up as an L, but it is apparent that, in winning three times by a total of 13 points, they have extra layers of championship grit and poise to help get past the imperfections. The defense came up huge in crunch time on Sunday night, stopping the Falcons on fourth down in the red zone twice in the final five minutes. And the offense keeps pulling out new wrinkles to produce just enough.
Patrick Mahomes knows.
“We haven’t played good, really, all three games,” said Mahomes, who still hasn’t thrown for 300 yards in a game this season. “We’ve been able to win. That speaks to the character of the team, the grit, how we’ve been in these situations before.”
Mahomes completed 26 of 39 passes for 217 yards, with two touchdowns. But the NFL’s best and most electric player sounded so human, too, pondering the misfires of recent weeks, including a red zone pick that he couldn’t fire over new Falcons safety Justin Simmons, who intercepted Mahomes for the fourth consecutive game between the two.
“Me, myself, I haven’t played very well,” Mahomes said. “That’s not a stats thing. I just feel like I’m missing opportunities when they’re out there, not throwing the ball to the exact spot I want it to be at. So, it’s about me getting back to my fundamentals, putting our guys in the right position. We’ve got to execute at a higher level. If teams are going to make us drive the field, we have to prove that we’re able to do that. I’m sure we’ll get a lot more of the same this new week with the Chargers.”
Of course, Mahomes’ challenges are part of a larger picture. His unit is operating without two key pieces lost to injuries – receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (shoulder surgery) and running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle). In Pacheco’s place, rookie fullback Carson Steele made his first start and contributed a steady 72 yards on 17 carries.
Without Brown, injured in the preseason opener, the Chiefs have had to accelerate the learning curve for first-round rookie Xavier Worthy and have leaned more on second-year pro Rashee Rice. This, while All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce’s production has been short-circuited.
While Kelce was limited to 30 yards on four receptions – still drawing double- and triple-team coverage from defenses determined to take him away, Mahomes said – Rice had another huge game with a career-high 12 catches for 110 yards with a touchdown.
The emergence of Rice includes the juxtaposition of his serious off-the-field issues. He’s facing felony charges stemming from a high-speed hit-and-run collision on a Dallas freeway in March, which could result in a jail sentence and an NFL suspension. The league, however, won’t weigh discipline until his legal case is settled – and at this point that process is a huge benefit to the Chiefs.
With Worthy still developing in his role, the Chiefs desperately need the reliability and playmaking skill that Rice has demonstrated.
“He’s doing a great job,” Mahomes said. “When they’re putting all that attention on Travis, he’s making stuff happen underneath. I’m sure defenses are going to start adjusting, putting more coverage toward him. That’s when Travis will make plays. Or Worthy will make plays. Or JuJu (Smith-Schuster), or whoever. He’s a legit No. 1 receiver. You’re seeing that every week.”
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are doing just enough each week to survive with the W’s.
Maybe that will be the identity of this version of the Chiefs. During this dynasty era, we’ve seen the Chiefs win with record-breaking point production. We’ve seen them win with dominant defenses. Last season, we saw them peak down the stretch and for the first time win playoff games on the road to get back to the Super Bowl.
This team’s identity?
“It’s just the third game,” All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones told USA TODAY Sports. “I don’t know. Talk to me after seven or eight games and I’ll tell you a lot more. It’s still so early.”
Still, a certain pattern could be building.
“We find a way to push through,” Reid said. “We’ve just got to keep finding ways to get better. You don’t want to peak this soon, anyway.”
Which is quite the warning to the rest of the NFL.