The Kansas City Chiefs improve to 3-0 after a confusing victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs started hot with a 20-yard Kenneth Walker touchdown and a 5-yard Kenneth Walker receiving touchdown, but the Chiefs’ defense struggled to get off the field, and the Dolphins’ defense began to increase the pressure on Mahomes.
The Chiefs won by 14 points, but had their worst offensive performance of the season so far. The Dolphins controlled time of possession for the whole game with 34 minutes compared to the Chiefs’ 25. The Dolphins converted 8 3rd downs, which kept their drives alive and the Chiefs’ defense tired. The Chiefs struggled to get pressure, which contributed to Dolphins QB Malik Willis’ success on 3rd downs. The Chiefs also didn’t allow a sack, but Mahomes was getting pressured and hit throughout the game.
Patrick Mahomes finished with a 119.8 passer rating, his highest of the season. He went 20/24 with 2 touchdowns and an interception deflected from Rashee Rice’s hands. Speaking of Rice, he was Kansas City’s leading receiver with 7 receptions for 88 yards. Travis Kelce caught 2 big passes: a 48-yard reception and an 11-yard touchdown.
Malik Willis went 20/36 for 210 yards and an interception, finishing with a 61.1 passer rating. He also led the Dolphins in rushing with 56 yards on 9 attempts. Dolphins RB De’Von Achane left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury, making the Dolphins struggle to maintain a steady run game. Backup RB Ollie Gordon II rushed 17 times for 41 yards and a touchdown. Chris Bell led the Dolphins in receiving with 4 catches for 67 yards.
The Dolphins did a good job of containing Kenneth Walker III after his 2 touchdowns, holding him to 70 yards on 18 carries. Miami stuffed Walker on a 4th-and-1 attempt in the 2nd quarter, momentarily shifting momentum for the Dolphins. Kansas City stopped that momentum by recovering a Malik Willis fumble, but couldn’t capitalize. Luckily, the Chiefs scored 17 points in the second half and took back control of the game.
The biggest play of the game, and the one causing discussion, is the roughing the passer call on Patrick Mahomes in the 3rd quarter. Miami defender Chop Robinson put his full body weight on Mahomes, and even though he put his hands up, he still did not turn his body, making it an easy call for the officials. Kansas City went on to kick a field goal to go up 7, and the Dolphins offense failed on a 4th-and-6 to give the Chiefs the ball back, which essentially ended the game.
The Dolphins played better than most expected, but Mahomes’ efficiency and clutch defensive moments held them to only 10 points. The defense is concerning, as it is not a good look to have a team like the Dolphins march up and down the field, controlling the game. A better team would have taken advantage of that and scored. Now with back-to-back questionable defensive performances, the Chiefs look like a team relying on their offense. It is working so far, but the defense will have to come together if this team wants to compete for the top seed in the conference.
The Chiefs did not look like the same team we’ve seen in the last two weeks, but they did enough to win. A strong Mahomes performance and big plays by the receivers helped the Chiefs score when it mattered. They now look towards Week 4 as they head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, hoping to increase their lead in the AFC West.
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