Patrick Mahomes had every right to be frustrated with Chiefs pass-catchers after Kansas City’s 21-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on “Monday Night Football.” But Mahomes took the high road in his postgame media availability and put the blame on himself.
Four of Mahomes’ passes were dropped, per Pro Football Focus, with three on the offense’s final drive. The superstar quarterback found Justin Watson on what would have been a fourth-and-25 conversion on the offense’s final play, but Watson dropped it. And while that was bad, no drop was more impactful than that by Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Mahomes uncorked a throw which traveled some 55 yards in the air and hit Valdes-Scantling in his outstretched hands. However, the veteran wideout couldn’t maintain control. The drop prompted criticism from football fans and media analysts alike, but not Mahomes.
“I have no regret,” Mahomes told reporters of the play, per the team. “I mean, they tripled team Travis (Kelce). So I went to the guy that won downfield, and Marquez (Valdes-Scantling) won. We just didn’t come away with the ball.
“I could probably throw a little bit shorter. He was that open,” Mahomes said, overlooking what felt like a perfectly-placed ball.
When asked again about drops, Mahomes added: “That didn’t just lose the game, there was a lot of stuff that happened. You just got to keep firing. … It starts with me. I’ve got to make better throws at certain times.”
No team has dropped more passes this season than the Chiefs (26), who fell behind the 8-3 Baltimore Ravens in the AFC playoff standings after Week 11.
