The Kansas City Chiefs’ nation went back home with teary eyes after the Christmas disaster last year. Patrick Mahomes’ team, according to reporter PJ Green, arguably saw “their worst offensive start in a decade by gaining -18 yards in the first quarter.” Why worst? It’s because that was the team’s least yardage in any quarter since Mahomes’ arrival, and even since 2011.
Then, in the later part of the game, the Chiefs failed to pick up from their mistakes. And consequently, ended the first half with 0-3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, eventually losing the game and hope with a 20-14 loss. That defeat instilled in the NFL world that the Chiefs are “underdogs” and they won’t win the Super Bowl. But what was the locker room going through after that disappointment? Well, the quarterback himself revealed recently.
Patrick Mahomes realized that was the time…..
In a recent episode on August 29, 2024, of Sunday Night Football on NFL on NBC, Patrick Mahomes joined Chris Simms to talk about how the Chiefs turned around the last season to win the consecutive Super Bowl. When Simms asked Mahomes about the Christmas night loss to the Raiders, the quarterback shared how tough it was! The 28-year-old expressed, “That was more what the hell is going on with our football team. I think that was the biggest thing. I knew that we had the talent, but that one stung. I mean just to not only get beat on Christmas, but get beat by the Raiders like that and it wasn’t fun. And I mean, it was the offense, if you look at that game, it was the offense that lost that game. There’s no other way around it.” For instance, an offensive mistake like, “Raiders’ former defensive tackle Bilal Nichols had an eight-yard scoop-and-score touchdown after a botched exchange from Isiah Pacheco to Mahomes.”
Or even when CB Jack Jones picked off Mahomes, returning 33 yards for the score. All these mistakes contributed to their loss. According to Mahomes, that game made it clear to all in the locker room that if they didn’t turn things around then, their season would be over. Not only that! Mahomes also put forward the thought process of the team following the Week 16 loss. He explained that although there wasn’t a big meeting or specific moment where everything changed, the intensity in practice the following week was noticeably higher. And the result? The 3-times Super Bowl champ revealed, the team, especially the offense, stepped up.
Mahomes pointed out that the fear of repeating the Christmas night disaster pushed everyone to focus more and practice harder. That moment gave them a much-needed wake- up call. He also admitted that after winning the Super Bowl in 2022 and starting the season strong, the team might have coasted a bit. However, that loss surely snapped them back into gear. And when they played against Cincinnati the next week, the Red Army performed well. This built their momentum for the rest of the season, eventually helping the team to defend their Super Bowl championship once again. But will they achieve their 3-peat in the upcoming season?
Who can stop the KC Chiefs from creating history?
Patrick Mahomes and his team, the Chiefs, are ready to take on the 2024 season. Returning as reigning champions, they will be trying to defend their Super Bowl, creating a history of winning a 3-peat in the league. But will they be able to do it? On one hand, if the odds are favoring the team the most, let’s not forget that on the other hand, the Chiefs are going to face some roadblocks this year too! One team that is hoping to defeat the Chiefs is the Baltimore Ravens, with whom Mahomes’ company would face off in Week 1. Then the other teams like rejuvenated Cincinnati Bengals, or even the Buffalo Bills are considered as their top rivals this season. Besides them, there is one other team too, which is touted as a surprise contender to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win, and i.e. – the New York Jets. Yes!
The Jets! The same Jets, who lost Aaron Rodgers in his debut game with the team following an Achilles injury. So, why are the Jets being considered as one of the possible challenges for Patrick Mahomes’ team? Well, according to Get Up podcast’s co-host, Mike Greenberg, “They [The Jets] have the best defense of anybody, with the possible exception of Cleveland, and they have the most proven quarterback. He is Aaron Rodgers, for crying out loud.” So, with healthy Rodgers, Greenberg believes that the Jets might have the chance to win against the Super Bowl champs.
And this might be true! Because “the Jets have the joint ninth-best odds to win the Super Bowl next February.” Perhaps, the analysts think that Rodgers will be returning in his form this year. So, to win, Patrick Mahomes and his army will need to step up their game!
