Chiefs report card: Frightful weather but delightful game for Mahomes, defense
Arrowhead Stadium opened in 1972, and it’s doubtful there has ever been a game played in conditions like Sunday. Snow started falling early in the morning and never stopped.
This had to be the snowiest game ever at Arrowhead. Still, the grades were terrific after the Chiefs’ 23-3 victory over the Denver Broncos.
KC Star of the Game: Patrick Mahomes
It’s been a while, but Mahomes gets the nod. He spoke about remaining in the pocket longer, and that happened. If the hand he bruised in last week’s victory at New England was bothering him, it didn’t show. Mahomes threw for 340 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to Tyreek Hill. It was Mahomes’ first multiple-passing touchdown game since a loss at Tennessee on Nov. 10.
Reason to hope: The weather outside was frightful, but the Chiefs scored on their first five possessions. And the offense, which had seemed out of sync the past few games, heated up in the snow.
Reason to mope: The Chiefs settled for field goals twice in the first half after reaching the Broncos’ 5-yard line. Andy Reid’s playbook was limited because of the weather, but this has been an issue all season, with the Chiefs ranking 21st in red-zone touchdown percentage entering the weekend’s slate of games.
Next: The Chiefs play their final road game of 2019 when they visit the Chicago Bears next weekend. The game is scheduled for Sunday Night Football with a 7:20 p.m. kickoff on NBC (Ch. 41).
Grades
Passing offense: A
Mahomes enjoyed his best accuracy of the season — 27 of 34 (79 percent) — and the sure-handedness of his targets was key. Travis Kelce had his best game of the season with 11 receptions for 142 yards. The catches match the second-most of his career. The yards rank third. Tyreek Hill finished with two touchdown receptions. Reserve tight end Blake Bell had his best game with the Chiefs, with two receptions for 41 yards. Mahomes should have thrown away the pass that resulted in his interception, but that one bad play isn’t enough to pull down the grade.
Passing defense: A
Rookie Juan Thornhill collected his third interception on a play that occurred after Tyrann Mathieu had a pick nullified by a penalty. The Chiefs sacked Drew Lock twice and held him to 208 yards a week after he threw for 309 at Texas. One slip: Broncos tight end Noah Fant broke free for a 43-yard reception on a fourth-and-1.
Rushing offense: B
So much for the idea that team with the stronger running game would have the edge on a snowy field. The Chiefs were without Damien Williams again, so the early carries went to Darwin Thompson and LeSean McCoy. When the Chiefs looked to close out the game, Spencer Ware picked up the tough yards.
Rushing defense: A
Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman have had good games against the Chiefs before. Not Sunday. They never got going as Denver finished with just 52 rushing yards. The Broncos fell behind early and had to try to pass their way back into contention. That didn’t work, either.
Special teams: B
Harrison Butker booted three field goals, including a 44-yarder to end the first half. A bad snap on an extra point by James Winchester cost the Chiefs an extra point. Also, the Chiefs didn’t notice in time that Broncos punter Colby Wadman dropped the ball on his first attempt. He picked it up and got off the punt.
Coaching: A
What’s not to like about Sunday’s effort? Maybe some red-zone play-calling. But for a game played in adverse conditions, the Chiefs executed about as well as could be expected. With the Chiefs improving to 10-4, Andy Reid is now a double-digit game-winner for the sixth times in seven seasons in KC. And the year he wasn’t, 2014, the Chiefs were 9-7.
This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 3:13 PM.