Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes refused to throw struggling player under the bus after bad performance vs. Raiders
The Kansas City Chiefs survived another sloppy performance, beating the Las Vegas Raiders 19-17 on Friday. Like in so many other games this season, the Chiefs couldn't put their opponent away before the final drive of the game. Kansas City's offense moved the ball well, but had to settle for four field goals – finding […]
The Kansas City Chiefs survived another sloppy performance, beating the Las Vegas Raiders 19-17 on Friday.
Like in so many other games this season, the Chiefs couldn't put their opponent away before the final drive of the game. Kansas City's offense moved the ball well, but had to settle for four field goals – finding the endzone just once.
That allowed the Raiders to stay within striking distance, and they did just that by taking a late 17-16 lead. The Chiefs' defense closed the deal at the end of the day, but just like last week, barely squeaking out a win over a bad team leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
The Chiefs have had multiple struggles on offense in 2024, but there has been one constant and most crucial – poor play at left tackle. Wanya Morris has struggled mightily, especially over the past few weeks. He was dominated by Raiders pass rushers all day on Friday, culminating to getting benched in the fourth quarter.
On the drive before Morris was benched, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was visibly upset about the pass protection issues, taking five sacks on the day. Left guard Joe Thuney slid over to Morris' spot, with Mike Caliendo taking over for Thuney. After the game, Mahomes was asked about the decision from coach Andy Reid to bench Morris.
"Whoever's out there, I trust those guys to go out there and make it happen," Mahomes said. "I've seen those guys play, and they've played at high levels. And so, the coaches made a move, and the guys that came in did a good job. I've got to trust it. I think there's times I didn't trust it there on that last drive, and if I can trust it, maybe make some of those throws so that we're not in the situation that we were in at the end of game."
Like he always does, Mahomes put the blame on himself and refused to throw Morris under the bus. That is in part why Mahomes is a great leader and commands respect from his teammates. Sure, Mahomes has made his share of mistakes, but he's not getting much of a chance due to Morris' struggles.
The Chiefs have had no choice but to stick with Morris as rookie Kingsley Suamataia has been unplayable and just isn't yet ready for NFL competition. However, there's a potential silver lining in D.J. Humphries, who K.C. signed last week. Humphries is a nine-year veteran left tackle and a former Pro Bowler.
It's a near certainty that Humphries gets the starting nod next week against the Los Angeles Chargers. If he can get just nearly back to his previous form, he'll be a big upgrade over Morris. K.C. is going to face plenty of great pass rushing teams in the postseason, making it vital the it gets some consistency from Mahomes' blindside.
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