The Kansas City Chiefs got back on the horse after a slow start to the 2025 season, securing a 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, though the win was dimmed by a heated postgame confrontation.
As Mahomes approached for a postgame handshake after Kansas City ran out the clock, Detroit safety Brian Branch declined the gesture and slapped Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had offered his hand. Smith-Schuster quickly got back on his feet and retaliated, and players from both teams soon became involved in the fray. Video showed Smith-Schuster covering his face with a towel as he returned to the locker room, while Lions head coach Dan Campbell labeled Branch’s actions as “inexcusable.”
Following the game, during his on-field interview with NBC’s Melissa Stark, Mahomes addressed the altercation.
“We play the game between the whistles,” Mahomes said. “They can do all the extracurricular stuff they want to do, but we just play the game in between the whistles. I thought we played a great game today, and we’ll keep this momentum moving forward.”
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on the scuffle with the Lions at the end of the game:
"We play the game in between the whistles. They can do all the extracurricular stuff they want to do, but we play the game in between the whistles."
pic.twitter.com/0gjTkd6TRs https://t.co/7RoETWthsW
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 13, 2025
Mahomes curated a vintage performance, completing 22-of-30 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 32 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on nine carries. Mahomes spread the ball around effectively, connecting with eight different receivers, while tight end Travis Kelce led all pass catchers with six receptions for 78 yards, his best game of the season. Overall, Kansas City totaled 355 yards on offense.
At the back end, the Chiefs limited Lions quarterback Jared Goff to just 203 passing yards and kept Amon-Ra St. Brown to only nine catches for 45 yards. The victory allowed the Chiefs to improve to 3–3 on the season, just one game behind the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West standings.
Kansas City entered the matchup looking to bounce back after a 31-28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. Sunday’s victory provided exactly that, reaffirming their standing as consistent contenders and allowing Mahomes and the team to regain confidence. The Chiefs will host division rival Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 7.
