The Kansas City Chiefs squeaked by the New York Jets with a 23-20 victory on Sunday night at MetLife stadium.
It was a peculiar game, as the Chiefs jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead before Jawaan Taylor committed a face mask penalty in the end zone, leading to a safety.
Buy Chiefs TicketsThat was all the Jets needed to gain momentum, and from that point on New York mostly dominated Kansas City for the last three quarters.
The most shocking aspect of the night was the fact that Zach Wilson thoroughly outplayed Patrick Mahomes.
It was by far, Wilson’s best performance as a pro, completing 28 of 39 passes for 245 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. A costly fumble late in the fourth quarter blemished the performance, but it was a monumental stepping stone for the young quarterback.
It’s also important to note that Wilson was not orchestrating a ‘vanilla’ gameplan.
It may have been two-read plays, but Wilson needed to work on timing and getting the ball out of his hands quickly. That’s exactly what the BYU product did — ran the offense effectively, while making off-script plays when needed.
The former second-overall pick made a handful of impressive placement throws that showed why the Jets and Robert Saleh were not willing to give up on the talent.
Kansas City’s defense entered the contest as a top-10 unit in the league, and Wilson was able to diverge around everything the Chiefs’ defense threw at him.
It was a very impressive performance by Wilson, and he earned himself another week as the starter for New York. It was a potentially career-saving performance.
On the other hand, Mahomes struggled, especially after the first quarter.
After playing flawlessly in the first quarter, the 28-year-old quarterback threw a couple of uncharacteristically interceptions, attempting to loft the ball over defenders on both occasions. Mahomes’ touch was a bit off throughout the night, as he threw what seemed to be his third interception of the game on a similar throw as the first two interceptions. However, a controversial holding call on Sauce Gardner erased the would-be turnover.
The two-time Super Bowl MVP went 18-30 for 203 yards, one touchdown, and the aforementioned two interceptions.
It was one of Mahomes’ worst games as the Chiefs quarterback. However, when it counted, Mahomes ran for the game-clinching first down on third-and-seven.
New York struggled to contain the rushing attack, as Isiah Pacheco ran for 115 yards on 20 carries, including a 48-yard touchdown.
However, when the Jets forced Mahomes and the Chiefs into must-pass situations, the pass rush was able to create pressure consistently.
One worrisome sign that has been the case too often this season and one of the main reasons Mahomes struggled to find a rhythm — Kansas City’s receiving corps could not create any separation against the Jets’ top-tier secondary.
Kadarius Toney can only succeed when Andy Reid dials up designed plays for him and was on the sideline late in the game. Skyy Moore is almost always non-existent unless a broken play develops. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is being paid a good amount of money to be mediocre at best. Rashee Rice has been the most dependable wide receiver, and he is a rookie who has struggled with drops.
Travis Kelce has been constantly the safety blanket for this offense, and when the Jets’ defense was able to hold the 33-year-old tight end at bay, Mahomes had to either run for big third-down conversions or check down to Pacheco.
It was certainly a mixed-bag performance by the Chiefs, and Kansas City was fortunate to find a way to win the game.
Nonetheless, the Chiefs are 3-1 heading into another favorable matchup against the Vikings.
Unlike the Jets, Minnesota’s defense is putrid, and it could be an opportunity for the Chiefs’ offense to regain momentum that was established in week three against the Bears.
