Patrick Mahomes is out to prove he can bring more Christmas cheer to Kansas City Chiefs fans this year than he did in 2023. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Mahomes said his goal is to play better on December 25th, the team’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I’m gonna try to be better on Christmas because last Christmas was not great,” he said via the Chiefs’ YouTube channel.
Mahomes’ quip elicited a laugh from reporters, but there’s plenty of truth in those comments. Last Christmas, he had one of the worst games of his NFL career. In a 20-14 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Mahomes went 27-of-44 for 235 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked four times. But even those numbers fail to tell the whole story. The Chiefs’ offense painfully moved the ball, punting on their first three possessions and failing to pick up a first down that wasn’t created by penalty.
After finally putting together a touchdown drive in the second quarter, the Chiefs immediately went backward. A botched Wild Cat exchange between Mahomes and RB Isiah Pacheco resulted in a fumble, a Raiders’ recovery, and a touchdown. The next offensive play, he was pick-sixed by rookie CB Jack Jones, turning a 7-3 lead into a 17-7 deficit heading into halftime.
Things didn’t improve in the second half. Kansas City twice turned the ball over on downs in the third quarter and punted on their other possession. As the Raiders, who passed for only three first downs on the day, controlled the clock with the ground game, the Chiefs never found traction. A late Mahomes’ touchdown made the game appear closer than it was, but the Chiefs were handed a loss after entering the game as 10.5-point favorites.
Pittsburgh could be the gift Patrick Mahomes asks Santa for. He’s schooled the Steelers in all three of their matchups, throwing a combined 14 touchdowns to just one interception with nearly 1,000 passing yards. He’s beaten Pittsburgh on all three occasions, twice in blowout fashion.
The Steelers have the benefit of being the home team on a short week and are 2-0 on Christmas Day. They’ll need that magic to continue to send Mahomes home with another lump of coal.
