Despite having plenty of time to prepare, the Kansas City Chiefs sure came out flat against the Denver Broncos in Week 11. Fresh off a bye, head coach Andy Reid’s team lost 22-19 and dropped to an even 5-5 on the year.
The Sunday defeat contained seemingly countless mistakes. Dropped passes on offense, coverage lapses on defense and penalties everywhere held the reigning AFC champs back. One of their shortcomings came from an unlikely source: quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes helped keep Kansas City in the game, but he also made life more difficult for them. His third-quarter interception thrown deep in enemy territory, in particular, stood out in the worst of ways.
Patrick Mahomes Explains Second-Half Interception Against Broncos
Mahomes, extending a play as he has plenty throughout his illustrious career, ended up on the wrong side of it in Week 11. Eyeing running back Elijah Mitchell on a third-and-14, he instead found Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian. It was a brutal mistake in a critical point in the game.
Speaking to the media on Sunday night, No. 15 owned up to his costly error and explained his logic behind the pass.
“Yeah, I mean, I was rolling out to the right, but you just can’t do it,” Mahomes said. “I’ll have to look at the film, [but] I thought I had Elijah coming down the sideline. I was going to give him a chance, and I just didn’t throw it high enough at the end of the day.
“I got 29 [McMillian] to go to me because he was guarding him, and I didn’t throw it high enough, and he jumped up and made a good play. I’ve made that throw before but at the same time, with the type of football game we’re in, don’t put the ball in harm’s way. Take the three points and move on to the next possession.”
Advanced data backs up the weight of the turnover. Per box score data from rbsdm, that swung Denver’s expected win probability from 32% to 40%. It cost the Chiefs 3.4 expected points, which almost perfectly aligns with a field goal attempt in the event of a throwaway.
The Chiefs’ offense found 13 points over the final two frames after that interception, but even a kick there could’ve made the difference. In a three-point final outcome, gaffes like that from a two-time league MVP can’t happen.
