Patrick Mahomes spent a chilly Sunday afternoon on the sidelines, bundled up in a jacket and sweatpants, with a handwarmer pouch secured around his waist. The Kansas City quarterback was enjoying a rare game day off as his team faced the Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs, who had already secured the top seed in the AFC and a first-round playoff bye, suffered a 38-0 defeat in what was essentially a meaningless regular-season finale. Mahomes and the rest of the starters quickly put the loss behind them as they prepare for their pursuit of a third consecutive Super Bowl title.
“Today, obviously was not great, but we know it’s ahead of us as a team,” said Carson Wentz, who started in place of Mahomes. Wentz completed 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards before being replaced. “Pat, everybody, all the starters, they know what’s ahead of us and where we’re trying to go and what we’re capable of doing. So our mindset is on that.”
The Chiefs (15-2) opted to stay in Denver due to snowy and icy conditions back home in Kansas City, which delayed their arrival in the Mile High City on Saturday. After a night in Denver, the team will return home to rest and prepare, with head coach Andy Reid still finalizing a plan for the playoffs, which start no earlier than January 18. For Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and several other starters who did not play against the Broncos, it could be around 24 days since their last game on Christmas Day before they take the field again.
“A positive for us is we got to play a lot of young guys,” Reid said. “That experience is invaluable, especially against a good football team. We need to do better.”
Under Wentz and late replacement Chris Oladokun, the Chiefs’ offense struggled significantly, finishing with just 98 yards and converting only 1 of 9 on third downs. The team recorded as many punts (five) as first downs, leading to their first shutout since December 16, 2012, when they lost 15-0 to the Oakland Raiders.
“Obviously, not good enough. We didn’t play great as a team. I didn’t play my best, either,” Wentz acknowledged. “We’ll move on from this one pretty quick.”
Mahomes is expected to return as the starting quarterback, and Reid will have ample time to prepare for the postseason. Historically, he has an impressive 22-4 record following a regular-season bye week, including a 9-3 mark with Kansas City. He is also 7-1 after a first-round bye during his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles and Chiefs.“It’s always a beautiful thing with competition escalating,” safety Bryan Cook said. “The stakes are higher, and it just feels different.”
For Wentz, filling in for Mahomes was an opportunity to audition for a potential starting role next season, similar to what Sam Darnold accomplished after serving as a backup. He delivered an energized pregame speech, urging his teammates to “believe you’re the best man for the job today.”
On this frigid afternoon, the standout quarterback was Broncos rookie Bo Nix, who completed 26 of 29 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns.“He was efficient. Really ran the offense well,” Reid said of Nix. “He’s a good player.”As for Wentz’s performance, Reid noted, “He did some good things, and then he had some things he probably wants back — a couple of throws. He did all right.”
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