Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been exceptional in games the Chiefs have lost
Here is another statistic that shows Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ dominance in just two full seasons in the NFL.
108.2.
That’s Mahomes’ passer rating in games the Chiefs have lost, including the playoffs, in his time as a starter. Mahomes’ passer rating for all games, including the postseason is just slightly higher: 108.6.
As those two numbers show, Mahomes has been remarkably consistent, whether the Chiefs win or lose. And in his 36 career starts, including the playoffs, the Chiefs are 28-8 (.778).
Below is a game-by-game look at how Mahomes has done in Chiefs’ losses.
ESPN’s Quarterback Rating (QBR) is included here. It “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties.” It uses a zero-to-100 scale with 50 being average.
In none of the seven games the Chiefs have lost with Mahomes at quarterback has his QBR been below 52.6, which means he’s been above average in each defeat.
Here is how Mahomes has performed in Chiefs losses.
Patriots 43, Chiefs 40
Oct. 14, 2018
Stats: Completed 23 of 36 passes for 352 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Passer rating: 110.0
QBR rating: 74.5
Of note: The Chiefs trailed 24-9 at halftime in Foxborough, Massachusetts, but Mahomes led a comeback that tied the game at 40-40 with three minutes to play. The Patriots won on a field goal as time expired.
Rams 54, Chiefs 51
Nov. 19, 2018
Stats: Completed 33 of 46 passes for 478 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
Passer rating: 117.6
QBR rating: 76.5
Of note: Arguably, this was his worst game with the Chiefs, because Mahomes also lost a pair of fumbles. But this was the highest-scoring game in NFL history, and Mahomes threw six touchdown passes. He also led six scoring drives of 60 yards or longer.
Chargers 29, Chiefs 28
Dec. 13, 2018
Stats: Completed 24 of 34 passes for 243 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Passer rating: 110.3
QBR rating: 64.3
Of note: The Chiefs led by 14 points with under 4 minutes to play at Arrowhead Stadium, but the Chargers stunned KC with a pair of touchdowns, and a two-point conversion with 4 seconds to play was the winner.
Seahawks 38, Chiefs 31
Dec. 23, 2018
Stats: Completed 23 of 40 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Passer rating: 103.4
QBR rating: 76.4
Of note: This was a back-and-forth game in Seattle, but the Seahawks went up two scores in the fourth quarter and held off Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Patriots 37, Chiefs 31 (OT)
Jan. 20, 2019
Stats: Completed 16 of 31 pass attempts for 295 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Passer rating: 117.0
QBR rating: 74.8
Of note: After being shut out in the first half, Mahomes led the Chiefs to 31 second-half points, including 24 in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs had the lead with less than a minute to play, but the Patriots went ahead with 39 seconds left. Mahomes drove the Chiefs 48 yards in 31 seconds for a game-tying field goal.
Colts 19, Chiefs 13
Oct. 6, 2019
Stats: Completed 22 of 39 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
Passer rating: 91.9
QBR rating: 52.6
Of note: A lingering left ankle injury was aggravated in the first half and then it got stepped on by an offensive lineman in the second half and clearly bothered Mahomes. Still, he threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Byron Pringle to give the Chiefs a 10-7 lead in the second quarter but the Chiefs managed just three points the rest of the game.
Texans 31, Chiefs 24
Oct. 13, 2019
Stats: Completed 19 of 35 passes for 273 yards, three touchdowns and an interception
Passer rating: 77.5
QBR rating: 56.0
Of note: Mahomes threw a pair of touchdown passes to help the Chiefs take a 17-9 lead in the second quarter, but he again tweaked his ankle, which affected his play. Mahomes threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill to give the Chief a 24-23 lead after three quarterbacks, but the Texans rallied for the victory.
Titans 35, Chiefs 32
Nov. 10, 2019
Stats: Completed 36 of 50 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Passer rating: 119.2
QBR rating: 84.3
Of note: After missing two full games because of a dislocated kneecap, Mahomes wasn’t as mobile as usual, but still had an outstanding game. The Chiefs led 32-27 with 3:19 left to play, but missed a chance to pad the lead thanks to a botched field goal attempt and the Titans took the lead with 23 seconds to play. Mahomes drove the Chiefs into field-goal range, but the kick was blocked as time expired.
