Patrick Mahomes tried to downplay what the Las Vegas Raiders attempted prior to their AFC West showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, yet the superstar quarterback felt his team needed to make a statement.
Mahomes and the Chiefs dominated the Raiders — who had huddled on the Chiefs logo in the middle of the field prior to the game — in a 48-9 blowout victory, which ended up being the second-biggest regular season loss in the Raiders’ storied history.
“There wasn’t a lot of conversation about it, but I mean you definitely don’t want people coming into your stadium trying to disrespect things that you’ve kind of built,” Mahomes said after the game. “So, for us, it gave us a little bit more motivation to go out there and win against a really good football team that we have a rivalry against that usually is a tough football game. I think guys were ready to play today and it showed on the field.”
Mahomes finished 20 of 24 for 258 yards and two touchdowns in the win (139.2 rating), which was his highest completion percentage in a game this year. The Chiefs never trailed in the game, taking a Josh Jacobs fumble for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Kansas City led 35-0 at halftime, showcasing the power of the Chiefs when they are firing on all cylinders.
“We don’t pay much attention to the other stuff,” Reid said regarding the Raiders’ pregame actions. “We know what they do, and we try to play good. That’s what we try to do — play to the best of our abilities, and that’s about all the time you have for that kind of stuff. You’ve got enough time to focus in on yourself and try to get better every week, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The Chiefs have won six games in a row and are in a tie for best record in the AFC. The defense is allowing just 10.8 points per game during the win streak while the offense is averaging 27.2 — and improving by the week.
Against the Raiders? The Chiefs are averaging 44.5 points and allowing just 11.5 in two games against Vegas. Mahomes has a 132.9 passer rating against the Raiders — and just 88.3 against everyone else.
“I think you just understand that it’s going to be a battle,” Mahomes said. “There’s a rivalry for a reason, you can feel that being around people in Kansas City. Even though you didn’t grow up here, you feel like you’ve played this team for years.
“For me, I think guys are just knowing they have to come into the game with that mindset of we have to be great every single drive. We really accept the challenge and we go out there and have success.”
