For the second consecutive week, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t put up big numbers. And for the second consecutive week, he didn’t have to.
Mahomes completed 15 of 23 passes for 200 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions, as the Chiefs relied more on their defense and special teams to get a 43-16 win over the Broncos on a snowy day in Denver.
The Chiefs’ defense intercepted Drew Lock twice and recovered two Melvin Gordon fumbles, and they also sacked Lock three times. Kansas City return man Byron Pringle had a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Chiefs split the running game between rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire and newcomer Le’Veon Bell, both of whom were solid if unspectacular. They’re likely to split the carries going forward.
But they’re also likely to take a backseat to Mahomes. Although he hasn’t put up his standard absurd numbers in the last couple weeks, the Chiefs know he can do it when they need him to. In the meantime, they’re cruising forward with a 6-1 record and are on the march back to the Super Bowl.