In Week 8, the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the Denver Broncos, both teams being AFC West rivals.
The Chiefs had previously triumphed over Denver in Week 6 on “Thursday Night Football,” winning 19-8 by establishing an early lead and capitalizing on their formidable defense to torment Russell Wilson throughout the game.
However, the script took an unexpected turn in Week 8. It was the Broncos’ defense that shone, forcing a remarkable four turnovers and securing a 24-9 victory against the Chiefs.
One notable reason for the Broncos’ success was the unusual performance of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had an uncharacteristically bad day against the Denver defense.
His struggles were attributed to an underlying factor: Mahomes was battling an illness during the Sunday game, having been a late addition to the injury report due to a bout of the flu.
This illness had spread through Mahomes’ family, starting with his wife Brittany and children, Sterling and Bronze, who had fallen ill earlier in the week.
In a post-game statement, Mahomes revealed, “I started feeling bad last night, but thought I bounced back pretty well this morning. Just kind of tried to go out there, do whatever I can and play my best football.”
While Mahomes never risked missing the game, it was evident that he was not performing at his usual peak. Here’s a closer look at his statistics and performance during the Chiefs’ first loss to Denver since 2015.
Patrick Mahomes’ Stats vs. Broncos
Mahomes completed 24 of 38 passes for 241 yards during Sunday’s game against the Broncos. He failed to throw a touchdown pass and had three turnovers, consisting of two interceptions and a fumble, against a resurgent Broncos defense.
In addition to the turnovers, Mahomes struggled to cope with the pressure he faced on Sunday compared to his usual performance.
He was sacked three times, marking a season-high, and frequently found it challenging to evade the defense’s grasp and locate open receivers. These negative plays significantly hindered the team’s offensive performance.
Despite these challenges, Mahomes managed to deliver some impressive passes and maintained a respectable completion percentage of 63.2.
Nevertheless, he recorded the second-worst passer rating of his career, with a mark of 59.2, and experienced only the 11th multi-interception game in his regular-season career, spanning 88 starts.
In summary, it is fair to categorize Mahomes’ performance on Sunday as a lowlight. Whether the flu was solely responsible for his struggles or if it was simply an off day, he will undoubtedly seek a strong comeback as the Chiefs prepare to face the Dolphins in Week 9.