KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Most of Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs teammates did what they typically do immediately after a game. They were either taking off their uniform, heading to the showers or putting on their street clothes.
Mahomes instead sat in front of his belongings in the middle of the Chiefs’ locker room. Still wearing his dirty white pants, Mahomes could finally do what he wanted to do midway through Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints: watch highlights of the most important game of the Kansas City Royals’ season.
Mahomes smiled, laughed and pumped his fist while watching highlights on his phone of the Royals’ 4-2 road win over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, tying the series at one game apiece. Before he left his seat in front of his locker, Mahomes, who guided the Chiefs to a comfortable 26-13 victory over the Saints, wanted to send a message to Kansas City sports fans.
“ROYALSSSS!!!” Mahomes wrote on his X account. “The K about to be jumpin this week!!!!”
Mahomes knows the Royals, who are in the postseason for the first time since 2015, will host the Yankees for Games 3 and 4 of the series later this week at Kauffman Stadium, the 51-year-old venue that sits next to Arrowhead Stadium, the 52-year-old venue that hosted Monday night’s Chiefs game.
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On a rare night in Kansas City sports history, Mahomes said he did his best to concentrate on leading the Chiefs past the Saints instead of wondering how the Royals were doing against the Yankees.
“You could feel that (things) were going good” for the Royals, Mahomes said of the Royals. “There was kind of a lull there toward the end of the game and I was like, ‘They’re not showing the score (in Arrowhead); The Yankees came back.’ But the Royals got the win. It’s extremely exciting. We knew the fans at Arrowhead are going to be loud, raucous and be really into the game.
“But I haven’t gotten to experience that in Kauffman sold out (in the) playoffs, so it was cool to see that kind of combined.”
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In June of 2020, the Royals announced that Mahomes was the newest member of the club’s ownership group.
The fans inside Arrowhead informed Mahomes and his teammates late in the first quarter of how the Royals were performing in the fourth inning. Many of the 73,000 fans who wore red in support of the Chiefs during a TV timeout began a “Let’s go Royals!” chant. The Royals beat the Yankees with a solo home run from Salvador Pérez, RBI singles by right fielder Tommy Pham, center fielder Garrett Hampson and third baseman Maikel Garcia and strong pitching from Cole Ragans and four relievers.
Mahomes floats it to @XavierWorthy for an 18-yard gain
📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/yjMHpoilcS— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024
Inside Arrowhead, the circumstances on Monday night might have reminded Mahomes of his father’s 11-year major-league pitching career. Mahomes had to perform like a pitcher who didn’t have his best fastball as the Chiefs were missing three injured starters in receivers Rashee Rice (right knee) and Marquise Brown (left shoulder) and running back Isiah Pacheco (broken right leg).
Mahomes used every other pitch in his arsenal to help the Chiefs offense. He completed a pass to eight teammates, his changeup his connection to tight end Travis Kelce and his slider comparable to weaponizing the speed of rookie receiver Xavier Worthy.
“It was cool to get those guys going,” Mahomes said. “It’s going to be like that until we start getting some of these guys back. Everybody is going to have to step up and make plays.”
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Even plays that are not designed. Late in the second quarter, Kelce used his creativity to help support Mahomes by improvising when no one, even his teammates, expected him to do so. On a third-and-22 snap, Kelce caught a short pass in the middle of the field and then lateraled — leading the surprised crowd to erupt with a roar — to running back Samaje Perine, who finished the play gaining an additional 15 yards. The Chiefs then converted the fourth-and-1 play to set up another short field goal from kicker Harrison Butker.
“I’m shaking my head because I told him before the play that I’m going to throw it to you so we can get in field goal range,” Mahomes said of Kelce. “It’s like I’m talking to (my daughter) Sterling. That’s Travis. He’s a special player. As long as he does it and it works, no one is going to say anything.”
Kelce with the pitch on 3rd & 22 😂
📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/PW8dXNhIrx— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024
The pitch that outwitted the Saints (2-3) the most was Mahomes’ curveball — he connected with seven-year veteran receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for seven completions.
Without Rice, the Chiefs were expected to increase the snaps of Smith-Schuster and seven-year veteran Justin Watson against the Saints.
The New England Patriots released Smith-Schuster, 27, in early August. In 11 games last season for the Patriots, he had 29 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs, though, signed Smith-Schuster a few weeks later to a one-year deal because coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy know exactly how to use him in their offense as a possession receiver who can devour zone coverage with Mahomes and run routes alongside Kelce. The question was: Could Smith-Schuster be as reliable as he was with the Chiefs in 2022?
As the starter in place of Rice, Smith-Schuster was a revelation for the Chiefs, producing his best performance of the season with a game-high 130 receiving yards.
“Andy Reid called and told me, ‘We can put you in a little packaged deal (within the offense),’” Smith-Schuster said. “Even just that, coming back to play here, I was OK with that. I was OK just being a leader in the (receivers) room trying to help our young guys get right.
“When the opportunity presents itself, I want to step up. I love adversity. I love being down. I love the doubts. I’ve always bet on myself. I came here (in 2022) on a one-year deal and it worked out. Coming back here was a no-brainer and I love the pressure of my teammates relying on me.”
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The lone major mistake by Mahomes and Smith-Schuster came late in the third quarter. Smith-Schuster dropped a pass near the goal line that would’ve given the Chiefs a commanding 16-point lead. Smith-Schuster ran a slant from the Saints’ 2-yard line, and Mahomes’ pass bounced off his hands and into those of former Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who returned the interception 37 yards.
The Saints scored their second touchdown after the Chiefs’ giveaway. But Mahomes and Smith-Schuster responded well, creating the Chiefs’ biggest gain of the game on a single play in their next drive. Smith-Schuster got wide open in the middle of the field for a 50-yard gain after a nifty dig route that led to safety Tyrann Mathieu slipping and falling to the turf.
50-yard completion for JuJu and he’s at 117 yards on 6 catches!
📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7djKfPURaE— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024
Reid helped the Chiefs shake their red zone struggles by calling a creative play to finish the drive. In a full-house backfield, Kelce took the shotgun snap and handed the ball to the speedy Worthy, who darted into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown.
“He has a good feel for the entire concept of the play and he knows how to get into the open spots,” Mahomes said of Smith-Schuster. “He has a good understanding of my timing, so I can hit him early in some windows that aren’t necessarily taught. They’re just learned over reps.”
Several weeks ago, Mahomes scheduled a short family vacation during the Chiefs’ bye week. With the Chiefs a perfect 5-0 entering their week off and the Royals two victories from advancing to the ALCS, Mahomes acknowledged that his plans might have to change.
The Royals will host the Yankees at Kauffman for Game 3 on Wednesday night. Mahomes wants to wear a Royals jersey and attend the game.
“That’s the plan,” he said, smiling. “It’s the bye week, so (wife) Brittany’s vacation and me getting to the Royals game will feud, for sure.”
(Photo: Denny Medley / Imagn Images)
