The beginning of Sunday’s Chiefs vs. Dolphins game came as a bit of a surprise to most who were watching. The Dolphins jumped out to an early lead mostly due to Patrick Mahomes and a few poor decisions. I was getting texts from my friends starting to feel better about a potential AFC championship match up with the Steelers. Since Patrick Mahomes has come into the league, he has been virtually unstoppable. However, during this game he showed that he was at least partly human.

Mahomes’ Miscues

As the Chiefs began their first drive, they marched down the field pretty easily. Then at the Miami 27, Mahomes tried to force a pass to TE Travis Kelce and was subsequently picked off. The Dolphins were unable to capitalize on the turnover and missed a field goal to take the lead. The next possession for Mahomes had everyone scratching their heads. Mahomes was facing a 3rd and 12 as he dropped back for a pass. He then ran backwards trying to escape Dolphins defenders and was sacked for 30 yards. The longest sack since 2015 when Ryan Tannehill was sacked for 38 yards.

After a second interception two drives later, the Chiefs were in trouble. The Dolphins quickly took a 10-0 lead as things started to look bleak for the defending champs. Mahomes showed he isn’t a flawless quarterback a la Tom Brady from 2007. He made plenty of poor decisions in the first quarter. He tied his season interception total in that quarter alone. Good thing for him there were three more quarters to play so he could revert to vintage Mahomes.

Mahomes was able to claw back and throw for almost 400 yards with 2 touchdowns. However, it was his mistakes that will live with him from this game. There were plenty of things he could have done better and he knows it. Despite his performance and the close win today, I still think the Chiefs are the favorite out of the AFC. Mahomes will need to play better than he did today though if he wants to go back to back. And he will.