Patrick Mahomes (Photo via NFL)
Cameras caught Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rallying his teammates on the sidelines following Rashee Rice’s devastating injury against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.
Rice injured his knee in the first quarter during an interception return by the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes accidentally fell into his teammate’s knee while trying to make a tackle, and Rice was quickly ruled out for the game.
NFL cameras and microphones caught Mahomes easing things for his teammates with a powerful message after Rice was taken off the field, giving another shining example of his grade-A leadership and calmness:
“Everybody just calm down, just play ball. You know what I mean, like we’re giving them what we want. We just gotta calm down and play ball. Everybody just steps up a little bit and makes plays.”
Patrick Mahomes’ message worked, alright. After trailing 10-0, Kansas City put up 17 unanswered points and shut out Los Angeles the rest of the way to escape with a 17-10 victory. The win also marked Kansas City’s 11th straight road win over their AFC West rivals.
The Chiefs were initially concerned that it was a season-ending ACL tear for Rice, but they’re still awaiting the official word on his injury. The Chiefs placed the second-year wide receiver on the injured reserve, sidelining him for at least four games.
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Rice is the Chiefs’ leading receiver through four weeks, with 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The team is also without free agent signing Marquise Brown (shoulder surgery) for the entire regular season, so Travis Kelce and the other pass-catchers must step up during Rice’s absence.
Patrick Mahomes & Chiefs Offense Still A Work In Progress
Mahomes and the Kansas City offense have not played up to their potential this season, to say the least. As was the case for most of last season, it’s Steve Spagnuolo’s defense that has carried the way during their hot start.
Mahomes has just six touchdowns against five interceptions through KC’s first four games, and the team ranks 14th in points for. History suggests that the group will eventually bounce back and regain its elite form, but that’s easier said than done with Rice and Brown both out long-term.
