The Kansas City Chiefs got their first win of the 2025/26 NFL season by stopping the New York Giants, but the same signs of offensive issues remained as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce continued to struggle to connect.
The Chiefs ran out 22-9 winners on the road against New York on Sunday, September 21 as their 29-year-old quarterback produced 224 passing yards for one touchdown.
This time he barely ran the ball, rushing for just two yards on five carries, and maintained a pass completion percentage of 59.5% as he was sacked twice and threw a fumble – although he did recover it.
“That was a great tackle,” Mahomes told reporters afterward. “I’m not going to try to do that again… We’ll throw the ball forward next time.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion continues to find it challenging to make plays without his preferred wide receivers, Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, and it seems as though his chemistry with Kelce is beginning to break down.
The offense generated only 4.6 yards per play against a defense that conceded over 40 points to the Dallas Cowboys a week prior, as they depended on field goals from Harrison Butker to edge ahead throughout.
It’s worrying that the QB and Kelce, his star tight end and historically his most trusted target, looked out of rhythm as the 35-year-old only produced 26 yards on four receptions (seven targets).
Their lack of connection limited Kansas City’s ability to sustain drives, forcing the team to search for alternatives in critical situations when in the past, they would’ve combined for the big plays.
Routes appeared mistimed, and the unit’s rhythm never fully materialized even beyond the quarterback-tight end duo as Andy Reid and Matt Nagy continue to scratch their heads for ideas.
The Chiefs relied on short gains and defensive resilience to stay afloat, hardly resembling the high-powered offense that has defined the Mahomes era until the last couple of seasons.
Tyquan Thornton steps up for Kansas City vs Giants
Yet amid the inconsistency, one receiver delivered when the team needed it most as Tyquan Thornton emerged as an unexpected difference-maker for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The New England Patriots’ pick in the 2022 NFL Draft collected five catches for 71 yards and a crucial touchdown, supplying the spark Mahomes and the AFC champions needed to win.
One pivotal sequence highlighted his growing trust with Mahomes. After nearly securing a diving reception that was later overturned, Thornton returned on the next play to make a leaping grab at the goal line, setting up a Kareem Hunt rushing score.
The resilience and playmaking offered a rare glimpse of rhythm between Mahomes and his receivers, something that this team desperately needs if they hope to make it to the Super Bowl again.
“We thought they might play it man coverage,” Mahomes explained. “We got a good play that we got to.
“I wish I got it a little further and made it an easier catch on him.”
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