Mahomes stands up for Chiefs WR Toney after costly penalty in Bills game
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are in a precarious position as they head into Week 15.
Emotions have cooled since the Chiefs were last seen raising hell at referees for an offensive offsides call that negated a go-ahead touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in Week 14.
As he and the Chiefs look to move forward after two losses in a row, quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he regrets his decision to criticize officials after the game.
“Definitely emotion talking when I was talking to (Bills QB) Josh (Allen) at midfield,” Mahomes said Wednesday. The reigning MVP said he also reached out to Allen as well to express that.
“Just lose the football game, a tough football game in a tough way. But I let go on too long because, I mean, like I said, he had nothing to do with it. Just show better sportsmanship and tell him great game and kind of keep it moving.”
Moving forward
Head coach Andy Reid stressed the importance of Week 15’s matchup against the 3-10 New England Patriots to the team on Tuesday.
“There’s nothing that needs to be said. It’s what’s real in front of you,” Reid told reporters Wednesday.
“So you just got to eat, and then you need to maximize your time with this. They do enough stuff offensively that you better be on your toes, and defensively, they do a lot of stuff. I mean, this is a (Patriots head coach Bill) Belichick defense, and they’re gonna give you a ton of different looks and it’s going to be tapered for your offense.”
Mahomes said the team is ready to focus on the game ahead.
“I think once the game was over and you kind of got to sleep and came back on Monday, Tuesday, think everybody’s mind was in the right spot,” Mahomes said.
“In this league, you got to have to move past that stuff. And we’re gonna play a great football team that plays extremely hard, and it’s playing great, better football right now than they’ve played all season long. So it’s gonna be a great test for us and a great challenge, and so I think guys’ heads are in the right spot.”
‘I believe in them’
Mahomes also shared what he said to uplift his wide receivers who are leading the NFL in drops, according to Pro Football Reference.
“All the receivers know I believe in them,” he said.
“That’s just kind of how I roll. If you’re in this locker room and I see how hard you work, I’m gonna trust in you in big moments, and I’m gonna give you chances to go out there and make plays.
“For everything I know, their mindset seems like it’s in a good spot, and they just want to go out there and continue to get better and better,” Mahomes continued.
“I can see that by how hard they’re working out here. I feel like if we can just continue to push through the grind that we’ll end up on the other side of it, as the season goes on.”
Receiver Kadarius Toney suffered the offensive offsides penalty on Sunday. Reid said he’s in a good place, and Mahomes encouraged him to stay who he is.
“Just be you, man. I mean, that’s all you can do in life or in this league. I mean, you’re gonna make mistakes. I mean, stuff’s gonna happen in your life,” Mahomes said.
“How do you accept that adversity and get past it and do it the right way? And Coach Reid preaches that, and that’s how I roll is I mean, you make one mistake, that’s not to define you. It’s gonna be how you respond to that mistake with.”
Being a role model
This season has challenged Mahomes as a leader, and he likes to lead by action rather than words.
He explained that his apology for his postgame comments wasn’t because of his position in football, but because of his position as a role model.
“That’s not necessarily pressure to being the franchise. This is pressure of being a good person,” he said.
“I try to act in a way that I’m a good role model because I looked up to guys that were on this stage, ever since I was a little kid running through the locker room. So I’m trying to be a good person and obviously, I care.
“So my emotions were shown on the football field, which they’ve been shown in good ways and obviously, that wasn’t a good way. But at the end of the day, I’m just trying to be the best person that I can be.
“The face of the franchise, NFL stuff that’s going to come and go but if I can show the person I am every single day, and that sets an example, that’s what I want to want to do when my career is over.”
The Chiefs have a chance to end their run of four losses in the last six games when they face the Patriots at noon Sunday.