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Another win came the way of the technologically savvy Kansas City Chiefs. However, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle injury. But here is why the Chiefs must not rush Mahomes back from injury for the Texans contest.
Mahomes threw two touchdown passes before his fourth-quarter injury, and Xavier Worthy ran for a score as the Chiefs whipped the Browns like a Devo song on Sunday. He left the game when his ankle got rolled up on while being tackled by Dalvin Tomlinson. Mahomes said the short week complicates the issue, according to espn.com.
“We'll get into the rehab part, the treatment part and try to get back on a short week,” said Mahomes. “I feel like I could have finished the game in different circumstances, but I thought the smart decision was to put Carson Wentz in. With all the adrenaline from the game, it's hard to tell now. Usually, it's the day after when you get a good sense of it.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes struggling with injury
Taking Mahomes out of the lineup is a huge deal. The Chiefs go from toe-to-toe with any team in the league to a sizeable underdog.
Mahomes has thrown for 3,348 yards with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Mahomes could have stayed in the game, according to espn.com.
“(But) there was no need for that,” Reid said. “He wanted to fight about it, but we've got a good support there behind him with Carson and it was good to get him a few reps in there too and let our guys hear that snap count in case he has to go.”
Mahomes described the way things played out with the injury.
“I was trying to run up in the pocket, obviously fourth down, trying to make a play happen,” Mahomes said. “And as I threw the ball, I kind of got hit — and I haven't seen it — but it felt like someone hit me from behind as well. And so I kind of just got rolled up on. It kind of happens in football, and so I tried to bounce back up, but obviously, it hurt a little bit. But now we'll just get after the rehab part of it and try to be ready for next week.
“I thought the defense was playing really well, and I wanted to go back out there, and I probably would've fought a little bit harder if they would've got the game to one-score (margin). But I have a lot of trust in Carson, too. We put him out there and I thought he did a great job moving the football, running time off the clock, and putting us in a position to win the football game.”
How careful should Chiefs be with Mahomes during games?
Mahomes took a few hits in the game, one where the Chiefs’ defense dominated. That led to questions about being put in harm’s way with a comfortable lead late in the game.
“You've just got to trust the offense,” Mahomes said. “I've just got to do a better job of going through my progressions and trusting the offense, getting the ball out of my hands, and letting guys make plays. And my nature is to try to make the big play happen, and sometimes defenses stop that, and then when it's not there, go for the underneath stuff and keep it moving.”
Chiefs have a cushion for the number-one seed
The Chiefs have three very tough games remaining. They get the Texans, followed by the Steelers, and then the Broncos. The last two are on the road.
Without Mahomes, Kansas City has a much better chance of beating Houston at home than it would in Pittsburgh or Denver. So the Chiefs must not rush him back for the Texans game.
The Chiefs (13-1) are two games ahead of the Bills in the battle for the top seed and the week off in the first round of the playoffs. However, the Bills hold the tiebreaker with the head-to-head win over the Chiefs. The Bills stand a great chance of finishing 14-3 with two games left against New England and one against the Jets.
It looks like the Chiefs will need to be 15-2 to get that first-round bye, which would greatly increase their chances of returning to the Super Bowl. First, it would be one less playoff game. Second, they wouldn’t have to travel to Buffalo in January to earn a spot.
Certainly beating the Texans would give the Chiefs a better chance of getting to 15-2. And it’s likely going to be tough no matter what. Texans QB C.J. Stroud said his bunch is ready.
“Yeah, a lot of respect for those guys, back-to-back champs,” Stroud said. “Patrick Mahomes is definitely the best in the league doing it at a very, very high level every year; somebody that I look up to. Just excited to go and line up against him and have an opportunity to play in an environment like that. I heard it's crazy. I'm excited for it, but it's not ever going to be a cake walk. That dude is really good.
“(Travis) Kelce, somebody I really respect. Defense is very, I would say, underrated. [They] kept them in a lot of games and won a lot of games for them and helped them get turnovers and keep the offense to, I think, like under 20 points I believe. A lot of respect for them and excited to have that challenge.”
