KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After starting the season 0-2 for the first time under Patrick Mahomes, a quiet Kansas City Chiefs team discussed the mistakes they made en route to a 20-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday's much-anticipated Super Bowl rematch
The defensive linemen went over certain plays in the locker room, including the Philadelphia Eagles' signature Tush Push. Linebackers Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal each said they were pissed while wide receiver Hollywood Brown tried to explain why the Chiefs offense has had back-to-back disjointed performances.
"It's just a lack of execution," Brown said. "It takes all 11 every single play. We've got to get on the same page and do that every single play."
Brown's assessment is accurate. Mahomes had another strong performance, but the unit made plenty of unforced errors. The Chiefs struggled in short-yardage plays, some of Mahomes' passes were batted down and the play calls from coach Andy Reid didn't help his quarterback when the Eagles blitzed 11 times.
And yet, the Chiefs were just six yards away from taking a 17-13 lead early in the fourth quarter. Mahomes was in the midst of leading the Chiefs on a methodical drive to put pressure on the NFL's reigning champion. But the drive's 14th play ended in disaster as a quick pass from Mahomes bounced off tight end Travis Kelce 's hands and into the arms of rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, who returned the interception 41 yards.
"We got the defense that we wanted," Mahomes said of the interception. "I threw it just a tad too early, just trying to put it on [Kelce's] body low before that [defender] got there. If I can put it more on his body and not so far out in front, then he can catch it and take the hit and get in the end zone."
One reason why many of the Chiefs acknowledged how odd it felt to be 0-2 -- Bolton, Chenal and pass rusher Chris Jones included -- was because it was their mistakes that led to the Eagles scoring 10 points in the second half.
The Chiefs' first possession in the third quarter ended on a perplexing play call. On fourth-and-1, with the game tied, Reid's play required center Creed Humphrey to pull on a trap for running back Kareem Hunt. The Eagles' defensive line crushed the Chiefs' offensive line and the snap resulted in a one-yard loss. The Eagles used the short field to take a three-point lead on kicker Jake Elliott 's 51-yard field goal.
"I'll take full responsibility for that game," said Reid, blaming himself for the loss. "I probably stayed too aggressive (on offense). That's my responsibility. It's important against that crew that you stay aggressive. I could've probably dialed up some different things there. Against them, you've got to do that."
For the second consecutive game, Mahomes led the Chiefs with 66 rushing yards -- none of his seven attempts by design. In fact, Mahomes is the second quarterback since 1950 to record double any other player on his team in rushing yards in each of the first two games of a season, joining Cam Newton (2020).
The last time Reid had Mahomes run a quarterback sneak was Oct. 17, 2019, when Mahomes suffered a dislocated right kneecap while lunging for a first down. It was an injury that Reid, years later, acknowledged was a freak occurrence.
"I'm always up to it," Mahomes said of doing another quarterback sneak. "We've put it in [the game plan] certain games. I just trust in coach Reid and whatever he calls. We've put it in, and you have to get the right look. We didn't think [the Eagles] were going to give us that right look this week."
The Eagles capitalized on the game's lone turnover. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed a 28-yard pass to receiver DeVonta Smith to beat the Chiefs' Cover 0 blitz. That highlight set up Hurts' 1-yard touchdown via the Tush Push. The Eagles' 10-point lead in the fourth quarter was enough for them to exit Arrowhead Stadium with a victory, becoming the first opponent to do so since Christmas Day in 2023 (Las Vegas Raiders).
"This isn't how we wanted to start," Mahomes said. "But how are we going to respond? I'm excited for the next few weeks to see who wants to be challenged and how we can get back and really get after it.
"I know it sucks to hear for the fans, but I feel like we're close. All we can do is continue to work."
While Mahomes largely did his job on Sunday, his circumstances are not ideal. An argument can be made that the biggest reason the Chiefs haven't found their rhythm on offense is because Mahomes is operating without three of his receivers -- Rashee Rice (serving a six-game suspension to start the season), Xavier Worthy (right shoulder) and rookie Jalen Royals (right knee).
The Chiefs are optimistic Worthy will play next week against the New York Giants, but how effective he'll be, while wearing a harness, remains a large question.
Kelce led the Chiefs with 61 yards, but his mistake doomed the team's comeback attempt. As the Chiefs walked off the field, defensive end George Karlaftis tapped Kelce on the chest.
"I mean, that's my guy," Karlaftis said of Kelce, who didn't talk to reporters. "That's us saying, 'Back to work.' That's what it is, win or loss. The loss stings and we're going to learn a lot from it. We're going to rally behind each other."
