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Patrick Mahomes came to the defense of Kadarius Toney after the Kansas City Chiefs receiver dropped at least three catchable balls at inopportune moments during their season opener against the Detroit Lions.
One of them led to a pick-six that led to the Lions bringing the score back to 14-14 in the second half, having entered it seven points down. Another drop in the final moments of the match led to the loss of a first down and stalled forward progress. Eventually, Detroit took over the ball and saw out the clock.
Social media has seen Kadarius Toney receive a lot of grief from fans. The narrative has been, not unfairly one could say, that he lost the Chiefs the game. If anyone has reason to be most annoyed with his receiver, it is Patrick Mahomes.
His quarterbacking rating came down because of the defensive pick and touchdown and incompletions due to dropped balls.
Though showing why he is the leader, Patrick Mahomes defended Kadarius Toney's performance.
He said:
"I have trust in KT [Toney] . . . Stuff's not always going to go your way."
Mahomes also said he was "embarrassed" by the loss, telling reporters that it's not cool for the fans to be able to see the banner drop previously and then suffer a loss in the game.
Mahomes said:
"This is a whole new year, and I think I know that we are trying to win another Super Bowl, and this is obviously not the way we want to start. So, anytime I lose, I’m embarrassed; I’ll get better so I don’t lose more."
Kadarius Toney's performance shows the importance of Travis Kelce and JuJu Smith-Schuster to Mahomes
While Toney makes a convenient fall guy, the truth is quarterbacks need support from all over the field to win games. Last season, when Tyreek Hill left for the Miami Dolphins, there were doubts whether the Chiefs would remain as dominant as before.
JuJu Smith-Schuster came in and plugged in the hole created by Hill's departure. Even though it was not a like-for-like match, he was a steady presence. It pushed Toney onto the special teams last year, where he was much more effective.
It culminated in a record Super Bowl punt return in the fourth quarter. Smith-Schuster's move to the New England Patriots shows how important he had been.
Furthermore, any team would struggle with the loss of a player like Travis Kelce. He is undoubtedly the best tight end in the business. But more than that, he has an understanding with Patrick Mahomes that allows him to find space in the open field and be the receiver of last resort.
Think of someone like Rob Gronkowski for Tom Brady. Not having him on the field put more pressure on the quarterback to keep targeting Toney, even when he was struggling.
Even without Kelce, though, the Chiefs only lost the game by a single point, 21-20. They will remain a serious threat and contender throughout the season and no one should expect them to be out early.
