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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is not making excuses after failing to lead the team to a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC title game.
The Chiefs led by as much as 18 points in the first half and were actually up by 11 heading into the third period. However, Mahomes struggled for the rest of the game as Kansas City scored just three points in the second half.
Mahomes and co. fell behind 24-21 in the closing seconds but were able to force overtime. Hopes were high they're going to close it out like what they did to the Buffalo Bills after winning the coin toss, but that wasn't the case at all. Joe Burrow and the Bengals made a key stop and went on to win 27-24.
After the game, Chiefs fans were naturally frustrated and blamed Mahomes for his poor play. For his part, the 26-year-old QB acknowledged his shortcomings and shouldered the responsibility for the defeat.
“I mean when you're up 21-3 at one point in the game, you can't lose it, and I put that on myself,” Mahomes said, per The Athletic.
For what it's worth, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also wanted to take the blame for the loss. He pointed out that Patrick Mahomes' struggles were on him, sharing that he could've done a better job in putting him in a better position to make winning plays.
“I could have given him other things to work with,” the Chiefs coach said. “Better things. I could have given him better plays to work with.”
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, it is too late to cry over spilled milk. Now, all they can do is assess what went wrong and see where they can improve as they gear up for next season. They still have one of the best young QBs in the NFL in Mahomes, and with him, they'll always be legitimate contenders.
The question is if the Chiefs can build upon what they achieved this season and retool properly come free agency.
