Patrick Mahomes threw for 242 yards and two touchdown passes as the Kansas City Chiefs got back on track with a 35-12 rout of the New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, ending a two-game losing streak.
Mahomes found Kenneth Walker twice for touchdowns, and Walker added 102 yards and a score on the ground, according to the Associated Press via Sportsnet, as the Chiefs improved to 6-2. The Jets, hapless for much of the afternoon, fall further behind in the AFC East.
It was a comfortable afternoon for the Chiefs, who needed a win after back-to-back defeats and got one in emphatic style.
Chiefs back on track
Kansas City’s two-game losing streak had raised questions about whether the champions were vulnerable, but Sunday’s performance answered them emphatically. Mahomes was efficient and in control, Walker was a dual threat out of the backfield, and the Chiefs’ defence kept the Jets at arm’s length throughout.
The 35-12 scoreline flattered the visitors. Kansas City controlled the game from the opening drive, built a lead that was never threatened, and saw out the win with the kind of authority that has defined their best performances this season.
For the Jets, the defeat is another chapter in a miserable season. They offered little on offence, could not contain Mahomes or Walker, and leave Kansas City with their playoff hopes all but over.
The AFC picture
The Chiefs’ win keeps them firmly in the AFC playoff race at 6-2, and with the trade deadline on Tuesday, they are among the teams reported to be calling around for wide receiver help. A move before the 4pm ET deadline on November 10 would underline their belief that this season is still winnable.
The Jets, meanwhile, are playing out the string. Their season is effectively over, and the focus in New York will now turn to the future — and to the decisions that need to be made in the coming weeks.
What comes next
Kansas City will look to build on the win as the season enters its second half, with the AFC West still to be decided. The Jets, at the other end of the spectrum, face a long final two months — and a fanbase that has seen this story before.
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