The Kansas City Chiefs lost a heartbreaker on Sunday night as the Baltimore Ravens rallied to erase a double-digit deficit and deal the Chiefs their first loss of the year.
Here are five quick notes about the game.
1. Travis Kelce made some more history.
Kelce continued to re-write the record books on Sunday, as he surpassed 8,000 career receiving yards faster than any other tight end in NFL history (113 games). For context, he reached the mark seven games faster than Tampa Bay Buccaneers' tight end Rob Gronkowski, who previously held the record.
The All-Pro tight end tallied 109 yards through the air on Sunday night, recording his 32nd career 100-yard performance (including the playoffs) – the second-most among tight ends in the Super Bowl Era. Only Gronkowski (with 33) owns more. He also hauled in a touchdown grab for the sixth-consecutive regular season game, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.
2. Patrick Mahomes spread the football around quite a bit.
Mahomes connected with nine different receivers on Sunday, finding a pair of players – wide receivers Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson – for their first touchdown grabs of the season.
The 26-year-old Mahomes finished the game with 343 passing yards and three touchdown passes, notching his 28th career game with 300+ passing yards. Only Kurt Warner (29) recorded more through 48 career starts. Mahomes also moved within one touchdown pass (117) of Trent Green (118) for the second-most scoring strikes in franchise history. Pro Football Hall of Famer Len Dawson currently holds the top spot with 237.
3. Tyrann Mathieu tallied a pair of interceptions in his season debut.
Mathieu didn't waste any time getting involved in his first game of the season, picking off Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson on just the third play of the game and bringing it back for a touchdown. It marked the third pick-six of Mathieu's brilliant career.
He then got his hands on the ball again a bit later, halting a Ravens' scoring opportunity with an interception at the goal line. Overall, Mathieu now has 12 picks since joining the Chiefs in 2019, which is tied for second among all players in that span.
4. Turnovers ultimately allowed Baltimore to stick around.
As well as the Chiefs played on offense, two critical turnovers turned the tide of the game.
Mahomes tossed an interception at midfield with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter that Baltimore went on to turn into a touchdown, and tailback Clyde Edwards-Helaire fumbled on Kansas City's final possession. It was a pair of uncharacteristic mistakes late in the game that helped Baltimore tally the victory. In fact, the interception marked Mahomes' first career pick in the month of September despite more than 400 passing attempts. Additionally, Sunday's loss was just the fourth time in the Mahomes Era that Kansas City turned the ball over multiple times in the second half of a game.
Head Coach Andy Reid spoke about the turnovers on Monday afternoon.
"When two good teams play each other, mistakes get amplified. We're sitting here with two turnovers at a crucial time in the game," Reid said. "It's fundamental things, and we're better than that, but we have to do it [better]."
5. The Ravens made plays in the end to win it.
Following Mahomes' interception, Baltimore went on to score 12 unanswered points to take the lead for the first time all game with just over three minutes remaining in regulation. The man responsible for both of the Ravens' late scores was Jackson, who rushed for a team-most 107 yards and both of those fourth-quarter touchdowns on the ground.
It was an impressive performance that dealt Kansas City its first road loss in their last 12 games, but for what it's worth, the Chiefs went on to win 13 consecutive games between the 2019-20 seasons – including Super Bowl LIV – immediately following their last road loss back in Week 10 of the 2019 season. Ironically enough, that streak began against the Los Angeles Chargers, who the Chiefs will take on this Sunday as they look to get back on track.
