Andy Reid: big comebacks start with Patrick Mahomes

On Monday night, things looked pretty grim for the Kansas City Chiefs after the Las Vegas Raiders took an early 17-0 lead — followed by a questionable roughing-the-passer penalty on defensive tackle Chris Jones. While Kansas City was once again plagued with missed kicks, in the end, they came out with a 30-29 win in a potentially crucial divisional game.

Speaking to reporters in the locker room on Wednesday, Justin Reid credited the team’s resiliency and confidence for keeping the game alive.

“Give credit to the culture of this team,” said the former Houston Texans safety, “that we didn’t start falling apart on each other when things looked ugly. We found a way to battle through the adversity and come out on top.”

Reid said that the penalty on Jones was the proverbial “spark” the team needed in that moment.

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images

“I think it energized the atmosphere,” he recalled. “I think it energized the team. We had one taken from us — and at that point, you just have to band together and find a way.”

On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Patrick Mahomes had his hands full with Raiders’ defensive end Maxx Crosby — and fed into the storied rivalry between the two teams with brief heated exchanges himself and the Las Vegas defensive end.

“I like to show my emotion when I play,” explained Mahomes after the game. “That’s kind of who I am. I thought we needed it at that time for everybody to go out there and bring the fight back to them — and I think you saw that guys did that. That’s how (and why) we won the football game.”

After a lackluster start, Mahomes rallied the offense — leading to two scores before the end of the first half.

“[The team] could’ve kind of folded and quit,” reflected the quarterback, “but guys responded. They came back [and] we won a game. Now we’ll have another test this next week — so I’m excited.”

Head coach Andy Reid said that the team’s confidence that they can come back from such a deficit begins with their quarterback.

“There’s not panic if you get behind,” noted Reid on Wednesday. “But the guys always feel like they’re in it with the way he handles himself. And then I’d tell you [that] I think the coaches are doing a nice job. They make adjustments, and they’re beneficial to helping you get kind of redirected.”

But Mahomes knows it won’t be the last time the team will face adversity in 2022.

“We have a hard schedule,” he reminded his listeners, “and it’s going to build that grit and that toughness that I think we’ll need as we get to the later part of the season.”