It wasn’t long ago when Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, took to social media confidently predicting an undefeated season in 2021. This goal did not seem so lofty considering that Mahomes had achieved an equally successful offseason. As the world’s infatuation with Mahomes continued, it was only natural for the public to mimic the same confidence that Mahomes was demonstrating.
Looking back to the first week of the NFL season, the Chiefs won an expected – albeit close – victory against the Cleveland Browns. The Chiefs played a very typical game when you look at their average formula from the previous season – starting slow and eventually coming back as the game went on. Although a Chief’s victory, the game was close and the Chiefs will likely be facing the Browns again.
In the second week of the season, the Chiefs lost the game, making their win-loss ratio 1-1. The Chiefs have been in this position before and the alarm is not ringing, but it is hard to deny how crushing the Sunday night loss was against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens have always put up a fair fight, but Mahomes and the Chiefs usually win against them. According to Sports Illustrated, the game Sept. 19 was the most-watched Sunday Night Football game in three years.
Offensively, everyone had a hand in the 34 points scored by the Chiefs – especially Travis Kelce who became the fastest tight end in NFL history to reach eight thousand career receiving yards. The offensive line also played a big role, living up to the high expectations set upon them after a disappointing performance overall the year before. Orlando Brown, who switched from the Ravens to the Chiefs during the offseason, had a stand-out performance against his former team.
Defensively, Tyrann Mathieu was the MVP for the Chiefs on Sunday night. He had a pick-six on the first drive and another interception later in the game. He has yet to receive the contract extension he is looking for, but it is likely that he will see that soon. Daniel Sorensen and Frank Clark also played big roles on key stops for the Chiefs.
What sealed the game, however, was two fatal mistakes made by young members of the Chiefs offense. One was a high snap from center, Creed Humphrey, which killed a lot of the momentum the Chiefs needed to build. Another was the fumble on the final drive by Clyde Edwards Helaire, who lacked crucial ball security on the Chiefs’ only shot to win within the final minute. It would not be right to credit Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, who played a good game against his rivals. It will be up to Mahomes to decide the fate of their next match-up.
