The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the driver’s seat atop the AFC West with a 3-1 record after they defeated the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football last weekend. However, the game still didn’t go as initially planned as the struggles plagued the Chiefs’ offense in the first two weeks returned in Week 4 after Kansas City gave up a 17-0 lead in the first quarter.
Jets Quarterback Zach Wilson, who looked beyond terrible over the first three weeks of the season, out-dueled Patrick Mahomes by completing over 70% of his throws for 245 yards passing and two touchdowns – his best game this season.
Credit to the Jets’ defense, Mahomes finished with his worst QBR in 2023 after completing 60% of his passing for 203 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Upon stumbling into a 17-0 hole, New York’s defenders barred down on the pressure, and their coverage in the secondary intensified, making it difficult for Kansas City’s offense to move down the field. Despite this, the reigning Super Bowl MVP managed to find a way to will his team to victory.
Undoubtedly, Kansas City’s 23-20 win over New York was another case of the team winning ugly. But head coach Andy Reid gave his quarterback some advice for when he finds himself in difficult situations.
“Well, no one knows better than what the player does when they do something bad,” Reid told reporters during his Zoom press conference on Monday. “I mean, you know, it’s there. If they’re competitive, they feel [it] more than anybody. So my point is, you do what got you there, and that’s attacking,” he explained.
“If you need to check it down as part of the attack, check it down; they’re settling deep, check it down, and keep firing, keep going. [There’s] a lot of games left to play. So he’s positive that way. He knows all of that. And he’ll normally say something to me before I say something. So I think, yeah, you’ve got to keep firing.”
Reid is known for being a pass-happy coach, and as long as Mahomes is under center, you can be assured the Chiefs will continue to live by the pass and die by it. Eventually, the offense will begin to click consistently, and they’ll have a chance to get on track on Sunday when they visit the Minnesota Vikings (1-3) at U.S. Bank Stadium.
