The offense was clicking early and often for the Kansas City Chiefs as the team made sure to cash in on their red zone opportunities. Patrick Mahomes provided a spirited performance, connecting with four different receivers for a touchdown.
Mahomes had 321 first-half passing yards, which were the 2nd most through the opening two quarters in a game in his career. He tallied 359 yards at Tampa Bay during the 2020 season. Mahomes addressed his impressive performance after the game due in large part to the excellent protection of the offensive line during his press conference with reporters.
“Yeah, I mean, they were great, they were great in pass protection,” Mahomes explained. “I said it seven times to them in the locker room. I mean, other than the one sack on third and super long. They kept me clean and a lot of pockets, whenever I was going one, two, three, back to one type, reads, and so they played their tail off they battled and then the second half they found a way just to grind out yards in the run game. That’s a great defensive front, and I thought the offensive line accepted the challenge and played a great game.”
The three first-half touchdown passes are tied for the second most in a first-half in his career. Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. was able to break through for the line sack, but it was a testament to how dominant Mahomes can be with extra time in the pocket.