Another week, and another wide receiver mistake hurt the Kansas City Chiefs.
This time it was a Kadarius Toney drop that led to an interception. Fortunately for the Chiefs, it didn't cost them the game in a 27-17 win over the New England Patriots.
But it did cost them points. And it let to the outward ire of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who's clearly frustrated with the weekly miscues from arguably the NFL's least reliable wide receiver group.
The turnover took place in the fourth quarter with Kansas City holding a 27-10 lead. Mahomes hit Toney in the hands on a first-down pass over the middle. Toney bobbled the ball and left it in the air for Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai to intercept.
Ball bounces off Kadarius Toney's hands and Jahlani Tavai comes down with the INT! #Patriots pic.twitter.com/YDXahFusLA
— Video from: @TSV__1 (@TSV__1) December 17, 2023
Two plays later, running back Kevin Harris ran the ball in for an 18-yard touchdown to cut Kansas City's lead to 10 points. After the interception, Fox cameras caught a visibly frustrated Mahomes venting on the sideline.
This was Patrick Mahomes' reaction after Kadarius Toney dropped a pass that ended up being picked off by the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/lYA3DqB02H
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 17, 2023
This has become the theme of the 2023 Chiefs. Entering Sunday, Kansas led the NFL in dropped passes with 34. Toney claimed four of those drops alongside the NFL's fifth-highest drop percentage (11.8%). While Sunday's drop didn't cost Kansas City a win, previous mistakes have impacted the outcomes of high-stakes games.
In Week 11, Marquez Valdez-Scantling dropped a would-be go-ahead touchdown on a perfectly thrown deep ball from Mahomes in the final two minutes of a 21-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Just last week, an offside penalty on Toney wiped out a spectacular go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes of a 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
In neither instance, did Mahomes publicly express frustration with his teammates. After the Valdez-Scantling's drop, Mahomes told reporters "I've got to make better throws" in a showcase of humility. Again, that was a perfectly placed pass.
Mahomes unloaded his frustrations after the touchdown against the Bills was called back. But he targeted the officials who made the call, not Toney.
This time, he couldn't hide the frustration on his face.
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