ATLANTA (AP) — Patrick Mahomes knows he must get better.
Not to worry.
Thanks to a couple of stifling stands from Kansas City’s defense, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs are still unbeaten.
Mahomes Shines Despite Interception
Mahomes shook off another interception to throw a pair of touchdown passes and the Chiefs defense stopped Atlanta twice on fourth down in the closing minutes, preserving a 22-17 victory over the Falcons on Sunday night.
“It helps when you have a defense that’s been in those moments before and is able to make those big plays,” Mahomes said. “It’s a team game and we’re winning games and I feel like we’re gonna start getting better and better each and every week.”
Defense Steps Up
The Chiefs (3-0) have been far from perfect, that’s for sure — Mahomes points to himself more than anyone — but their record has remained unblemished by a combined 13 points.
Coming off an upset victory at Philadelphia, the Falcons (1-2) had a couple of shots at the go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes.
Kirk Cousins threw a pair of incompletions in the end zone from the Chiefs 6 after the Falcons passed up a shot at a field goal with just over 4 minute remaining.
Atlanta got the ball back, drove down the field with help from a couple of penalties, and had third-and-1 at the Kansas City 13. Tyler Allgeier was stuffed for no gain and Bijan Robinson was thrown for a 3-yard loss by Nick Bolton on fourth down with less than a minute remaining.
Chiefs’ Running Backs Fill the Void
With Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco sidelined with an ankle injury, the Chiefs got good production from his replacements.
Carson Steele, an undrafted rookie, led the way with 17 bruising carries for 72 yards. Samaje Perine chipped in with six carries for 25 yards, to go along with three catches for 15 yards.
“I had a lot of trust there,” Mahomes said. “You lose some of that juice that Isaiah has. I mean, there’s not a lot of people that are that fired up after every run. But I thought the guys did a great job.”
Injury Report
Chiefs: Bolton hobbled off the field early in the fourth quarter after an awkward landing, but he came back to make the big stop on Robinson.
Falcons: McGary and Dalman both went out in the second quarter. McGary was helped off the field with a knee injury and replaced by Storm Norton. Dalman was replaced by Ryan Neuzil after being sidelined with an ankle issue.
Conclusion
The Chiefs are still undefeated, thanks to their stingy defense and Mahomes’ ability to bounce back from mistakes. While they may not be perfect, they’re getting the job done and are looking forward to improving each week.
FAQs
Q: Who threw the winning touchdown pass for the Falcons?
A: Drake London threw the winning touchdown pass for the Falcons in their upset victory over the Eagles.
Q: Who led the Chiefs in rushing yards?
A: Carson Steele led the Chiefs in rushing yards with 72 yards on 17 carries.
Q: Who was the Falcons’ quarterback?
A: Kirk Cousins was the Falcons’ quarterback.
Q: Who made the big stop on fourth down for the Chiefs?
A: Nick Bolton made the big stop on fourth down for the Chiefs, stuffing Tyler Allgeier for no gain and then throwing Bijan Robinson for a 3-yard loss.
