Patrick Mahomes admits it ‘sucks’ after the Kansas City Chiefs lose another one-score game

Patrick Mahomes rued the Kansas City Chiefs’ ability to “crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes” after they suffered late heartbreak at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football.

The Chiefs looked like they had secured their third win of the season when Mahomes led a late touchdown drive that put them ahead. But Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence ran in for a one-yard touchdown in the final minute to deny Kansas City and condemn them to their third one-score defeat of the season.

Shoe on the other foot for Chiefs

It is a remarkable change in fortunes after Andy Reid’s team won a record 11 one-score games last season.

“Obviously, it sucks,” Mahomes said following the 31-28 loss. “You let a game slip away. It still sucks whenever you get a lead and you’re not able to hold it.

“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.

“We’ve got to be better. We’ve lost too many games already.”

Lawrence overcomes panic to win the game

Mahomes was overshadowed by Trevor Lawrence, who overcame two stumbles on the game-winning play before diving into the end zone.

“I mean, I just panicked, honestly,” Lawrence said. “I was trying to get up to get the ball out of my hands. We didn’t have any timeouts left so I was really going to just stand up and launch it out the back of the end zone.”

It was a remarkable performance from Lawrence whose two scramble TDs equalled his number from his first four seasons.

“That’s something I’ve realized just the first couple weeks. I think I’ve had some opportunities to be able to extend plays using my legs,” Lawrence said. 

“That’s our greatest asset on third down besides guys getting open in coverage. The defensive schemes are really good, and sometimes they cover all the guys, and our O-line has been blocking really well, so being able to escape, use my legs, make the defense defend the whole field … made a big impact for us tonight.”

Jags going well

The Jags are now 4-1 and looking like a team revitalised.

“We have to take it week by week and obviously we think we’re a good team, so we believe that,” Lawrence said. “But you don’t listen to the outside noise and not many of those people were around at the beginning of the season.

“So, it’s really about the guys in that locker room, the staff, coach, all the people that put the work in and we have that confidence and belief. That’s what matters.”