Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
John Dillon

Can Patrick Mahomes’ Week 1 excellence overcome absence of Chris Jones, Travis Kelce?

Patrick Mahomes is the NFL’s best quarterback and the things he is able to do for the Kansas City Chiefs when he steps on the field border on the otherworldly.

His dominance in season openers is well-documented, but as he enters his sixth season as Kansas City’s starter, Mahomes faces an adversity he hasn’t yet dealt with to start a campaign; a lack of stars on both sides of the ball.

Buy Chiefs Tickets

Defensive lineman Chris Jones is still holding out as he negotiates a new contract with Kansas City, and tight end Travis Kelce suffered an injury in practice on Tuesday. Mahomes’ excellent track record in Week 1 games was featured by Pro Football Focus on Twitter after the news of Kelce’s ailment broke, and it begs the question: Can the reigning MVP overcome without his All-Pro teammates?

Fans have often joked about how much help Mahomes needs to continue winning games at the torrid pace he has established since taking over under center for the Chiefs in 2018, and Thursday’s matchup against the Detroit Lions is sure to be a real test of his mettle.

But, if Mahomes has proven anything, it is that he is adaptable. For this writer’s money, the Super Bowl LVII champions don’t have much to fear unless Mahomes’ time on the field is compromised by injury or ejection.

 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.