Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II has not lost much throughout his career. In fact, he has a ridiculous regular season record of 73-22 since entering the league, with an equally impressive 11-3 record in the playoffs.
That would make his 2023 record (9-6) a clear outlier on his resume — and it might also be the cause of recent sideline outbursts according to Mahomes.
“I just don’t think I like losing,” the reigning NFL MVP told reporters on December 27 when asked about the snowballing frustration that has boiled over on the sidelines in recent weeks. “Anybody can be frustrated when they lose, it’s just about how you respond.”
When the follow-up question wondered if that’s “the way” Mahomes would like to motivate teammates, the QB noted that leaders “motivate in a lot of different ways.”
“I try to do my best to be positive and keep the guys going in the right direction,” the superstar explained, acknowledging: “But I mean, you catch me sometimes on the sidelines [and] I look frustrated, I think a lot of guys are frustrated that we’re losing but at the same time, you’ve gotta have the right message to know that the guys know that I believe in them and I do.”
“People see frustration and they think it causes controversy,” Mahomes concluded. “I see it as a way of showing that people care. They care about their profession. They care about trying to do whatever they can to win games. And so, when I see stuff like that happen… I see someone that cares about the game and someone that wants to be better — and not better for themselves but for the team.”
New Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce Leadership Tactics Are Reminiscent of Former OC Eric Bieniemy
It’s probably no coincidence that Patrick Mahomes and superstar tight end Travis Kelce have been at the center of these outbursts. The KC offense needs a spark and with former lightning rod offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy now in Washington, it’s possible that the two veteran team leaders feel they need to fill the void.
During a segment of “NFL Total Access” on December 27, ex-NFL QB David Carr and ex-NFL fullback Michael Robinson talked about how the Chiefs might be missing Bieniemy more than people realize.
“If you’re Tom Brady or you’re Eli Manning, you gotta have a coach that coaches you hard,” Carr voiced on the show. “Bill Belichick always challenged Brady. They butted heads but [it worked]. Tom Coughlin always challenged Eli Manning — he would do it in team meeting rooms if he missed reads, [or] if the ball wasn’t out on time. And that’s what I see when I watch Pat play [right now].”
The overall message from Carr was that current OC Matt Nagy and head coach Andy Reid might not be challenging Mahomes and his offensive teammates enough in 2023. Robinson agreed, stating candidly that Bieniemy was that coach that held Kansas City players accountable in the past.
So, is the Chiefs offense being pushed the same way they were under Bieniemy? If not, why not? And what can KC do to change that before the playoffs?
Chiefs Injury Update Heading Into Week 17
Before Mahomes spoke, Coach Reid addressed the media on December 27, beginning with an injury update ahead of the Week 17 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“[Cornerback] L’Jarius Sneed won’t go today, he’s got a calf strain. [Cornerback] Jaylen Watson is sick, [running back Isiah] Pacheco is in [concussion] protocol, [left tackle] Donovan Smith still has some tingling with the [neck] stinger and then [wide receiver] Kadarius Toney with a hip strain,” Reid updated.
The key names to watch are certainly Sneed and Pacheco as the week goes on, while Smith and Toney have been staples on the KC injury report in recent weeks.
Reid did not mention veteran running back Jerick McKinnon (groin) — who was unavailable for Week 16 — but it’s possible it was an oversight on his part.
