Two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes delivered everything he could muster with a makeshift Kansas City Chiefs squad against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday evening – and made his frustrations with his team-mates clear afterwards. The 30-year-old signal-caller registered a season-best 318 yards whilst connecting on 29 of his 41 attempts with one touchdown and one interception in a crushing 31-28 defeat.
Crucial infractions by the Kansas City defence – particularly one from CB Charmarri Connor on what could have been a match-clinching interception – sealed the Chiefs’ fate, leaving them at 2-3 and firmly planted in third place within the AFC West. Mahomes, who has also recently faced criticism about his weight from a former Kansas City trainer on local radio, was annoyed with his team’s performance during a passionate post-match address.
“We’ve got to be better,” he acknowledged. “We’ve lost too many games already. We have the guys and we’ve executed at certain points in games and looked really good, but we crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes.
“We’ve done that to ourselves all season long. It’s been one guy here or there. In this league, it’s so close that those [moments] change games.”
The Chiefs racked up 13 penalties totalling 109 yards (in stark contrast to Jacksonville’s mere four for 25) as the franchise squandered a comfortable 14-0 second-quarter advantage.
Kansas City achieved an extraordinary 11-0 record in one-score matches during 2024, concluding at 15-2 and claiming the AFC’s summit.
The side is experiencing no such fortune in tight encounters during 2025, currently holding a dismal 0-3 record in similar situations. The Chiefs found themselves in a tight spot against the Jaguars, with the game tied at 14 late in the third quarter.
However, a costly interception by Mahomes was returned 99 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Devin Lloyd, flipping the game on its head.
Despite this setback, the Kansas City quarterback led two successful touchdown drives to put his team ahead 28-21. But Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence responded with a quick-fire seven-play, 60-yard touchdown drive to snatch the lead back.
“Obviously sucks, you know, you let a game slip away. Credit to them, they played hard the entire game, and they’ve got a lot of good football players, and they closed out there at the end,” said a disappointed Mahomes.
“So, it still sucks whenever you get a lead like that and you’re not able to hold it through the rest of the game.”
This season has been far from Mahomes’ best, despite ranking fourth in the NFL with a strong 75.1 QBR, his yardage total is low at 1,257 through five games.
The Chiefs will be hoping to bounce back next Sunday night in a challenging home game against the 4-1 Detroit Lions.