Kansas City Chiefs

It's safe to say former NFL running back LeSean McCoy is not a fan of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Bieniemy and quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a heated exchange heading into the halftime locker room during Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, and McCoy replied to an Instagram post that all the offensive coordinator does is argue with players:

Shady McCoy weighs in on EB😬😬 pic.twitter.com/Nq33xGnyDo

— Braiden Turner (@bturner23) September 26, 2022

This is not the first time McCoy has criticized Bieniemy.

During an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast in May, Shady said Bieniemy has not been hired as a head coach in the NFL for a reason.

"... Listen, because some players he talks to them a certain way and some players would take it," McCoy said. "I wouldn't take it, like 'whoa.' ... That's the reason why that every year they hype him up to get a job, and then when the time comes, nobody hires him because they know what type of coach he really is."

This exchange between Pat Mahomes and OC Eric Bieniemy 👀🍿

(via @NFLonCBS)pic.twitter.com/tvOMDPC9dl

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 25, 2022

McCoy appeared in 13 games for the Chiefs during the 2019 campaign and had 465 yards and four touchdowns on the ground as more of a role player than a leading contributor.

As for Sunday's game, the Colts stunned the Chiefs with a 20-17 victory. Kansas City scored just three points after halftime and the exchange between offensive coordinator and quarterback.

The Kansas City Chiefs haven't had the high-powered offense we're used to seeing, but star quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn't making any excuses for the team's slow start.

Mahomes told reporters after Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts that he doesn't think chemistry issues with his new wide receivers are causing the offensive struggles.

"I don't expect any growing pains,'' he said. "Obviously have new players and you don't know everybody's going to respond to tough situations. We've got to jell all together. It starts with me."

After a 44-point outburst in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, the Chiefs have totaled just 44 points in their last two games. Mahomes threw for 262 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Sunday's loss, which came as a surprise against a struggling Colts team.

Kansas City lacked its usual efficiency, scoring just two touchdowns in four trips to the red zone. The team also missed a chip-shot field goal in the fourth quarter and failed to convert a fake field goal. A muffed punt gave the Colts the ball back inside the 5-yard line and led to a touchdown.

"We've got to make it so those little mistakes don't cause the loss,'' Mahomes said. "We had multiple chances to get in the end zone, and if we get [in] the end zone one time, don't stall out in the red zone, get seven [instead of the missed field goal in the fourth quarter], the game's over."

Mahomes is still learning to integrate receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling into the offense. Both of them are in their first year in Kansas City after signing as free agents, but they have yet to score a touchdown so far this season.

Mahomes was seen expressing his frustration to offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy near the end of the first half after the team ran out the clock instead of attempting to get into field-goal range.

"I wanted to go try to score,'' Mahomes said. "That's just who I am. We were in a tough situation."

The Chiefs will look to bounce back next week in a marquee matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

An apparent argument between Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was caught on camera at halftime during Sunday's loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but head coach Andy Reid claims the two did not get into a confrontation.

"If you heard the words, that wasn't—I don't know how it looked to you guys, but that wasn't a confrontation at all," Reid told reporters after the game. "That's not what it was."

This exchange between Pat Mahomes and OC Eric Bieniemy 👀🍿

(via @NFLonCBS)pic.twitter.com/tvOMDPC9dl

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 25, 2022

After video of Mahomes and Bieniemy surfaced on Twitter, there was speculation that Mahomes wasn't happy with the play calls entering halftime, including the handoff to Jerick McKinnon with 20 seconds left that ended up being the team's final play before the end of the second quarter.

The Chiefs entered the third quarter with a 14-10 lead.

Mahomes revealed his side of the story while speaking with reporters after the loss, via ESPN's Adam Teicher:

"I wanted to go try to score. That's just who I am. We were in a tough situation. I believe it was second- or third-and -20, something like that, and probably the smart decision was to go to halftime. But I'm always going to want to score. I pretty much just said, 'Let me have a chance at it,' and he was just like, 'Let's get to the locker room and get to the next half.'

"I don't know if that's an altercation. That was the end of the conversation.''

Kansas City's offense was underwhelming in Sunday's loss.

Mahomes completed 20-of-35 passes for 262 yards and one touchdown against one interception. He also had four carries for 26 yards.

JuJu Smith-Schuster led Kansas City's receivers with five catches for 89 yards, and McKinnon led running backs with seven carries for 20 yards. Travis Kelce and Clyde Edwards-Helaire also had touchdowns.

In addition to the lack of offense production, the Chiefs missed a field goal in the fourth quarter, failed to convert on a fake field goal and muffed a punt that set up the Colts inside the 5-yard line for a touchdown.

After the game, Mahomes told reporters that the team needs to clean up those mistakes ahead of Week 4:

"We've got to make it so those little mistakes don't cause the loss. We had multiple chances to get in the end zone, and if we get (in) the end zone one time, don't stall out in the red zone, get seven (instead of the missed field goal in the fourth quarter), the game's over.''

The Chiefs enter next weekend's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football with a 2-1 record following Sunday's loss.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without one of their key defensive players for the next few weeks.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. has been suspended for the next four games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star added that the suspension stems from a January arrest in Overland Park, Kansas.

According to Adam Teicher of ESPN, Gay was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of criminal property damage of less than $1,000 during the week of Kansas City's AFC divisional round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. His agents said he was visiting his son and got into an argument with the child's mother, who then called the police.

Per Teicher, the police report "estimated the total property damage at $225 for a vacuum cleaner, cellphone screen protector, humidifier and damage to a wall and door frame."

A second-round pick in 2020, Gay appeared in 12 games last season totaled 48 tackles, two interceptions and 0.5 sacks. He spent a few weeks on injured reserve with a toe injury. He was expected to take another step this season.

Through two games this year, Gay is tied for second on the Chiefs with 16 total tackles while adding two passes defended. The 24-year-old appeared in 92 percent of the team's defensive snaps in Kansas City's win over the Los Angeles Chargers last Thursday night.

Gay will miss games against the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills. He will be eligible to return in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Patrick Mahomes knows he caught a few breaks in Thursday night's 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and he vowed to rectify the mistakes moving forward.

Mahomes' stat line was clean, with no interceptions or fumbles, but he recorded four turnover-worthy plays in the AFC West rivalry clash, per Fox Sports' Kev Mahserejian.

"First off, I'm livin' right," Mahomes told reporters. "Because I had a couple interceptions that didn't get called with flags—because there were flags—and then that one got overturned when it hit the ground."

He added: "I had to stop giving them even chances. It's just too close sometimes and I'm going to make sure I get better at that."

Mahomes completed 24 of his 35 throws (68.6 percent) for 235 yards with two touchdown passes in the win, but the result could have been a lot different if a bounce or two went L.A.'s way.

The 2018 NFL MVP, who joked his Pro Football Focus grade would likely suffer following the performance, noted the most important thing was picking up the victory against a top-tier opponent.

"That's going to be a team that's going to be in the playoff picture," Mahomes said. "They're Super Bowl contenders. They have a great defense, great offense, great special teams, so to find a way to win and keep that home-field advantage, I think it was huge and it'll be something that we'll look back on at the end of the season and say that was a big win for us."

Great Team Win! Ton of room for improvement but way to find a way! #ChiefsKingdom

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) September 16, 2022

Meanwhile, it was a missed opportunity for the Chargers, who led by 10 on two different occasions before Kansas City rattled off 20 straight points from midway through the third quarter until late in the fourth.

L.A. quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a rib injury late in the contest, and the Bolts are awaiting further test results to determine the extent of the injury. Any type of significant absence would change the dynamics of the divisional race.

"There's nobody that can do what he can do, nobody," Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said. "He showed a lot of guts, he showed us what he shows every day, that we're never out of the fight, and he brought us back and gave us a chance."

The Chargers dropped to 1-1 with the loss, while the Chiefs improved to 2-0.

Kansas City and Los Angeles will face off again on Nov. 20 at SoFi Stadium as part of the Week 11 schedule.

Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a critical 27-24 victory over the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers in Thursday's divisional showdown and didn't turn it over once.

On paper, that is an excellent day, especially since he threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Yet sometimes the story goes beyond the statistics.

Mahomes threw two interceptions that were overturned by penalties. He threw a pick to Asante Samuel Jr., but it was overturned after a review showed the cornerback didn't control the catch to the ground. Throw in another near-pick in the end zone that Samuel may have returned 100 yards for a touchdown, and the four-time Pro Bowler benefitted from some serious luck.

Social media certainly noticed:

Mahomes getting the gigaluck on turnover worthy throws tonight huh

— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) September 16, 2022

Patrick Mahomes interception luck is undefeated https://t.co/DsVfSuK1J2

— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) September 16, 2022

That's like the 6th turnover worthy throw by Mahomes

— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) September 16, 2022

Mahomes is wyling

— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) September 16, 2022

Mahomes is going to get an awful grade from @PFF

— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) September 16, 2022

Mahomes gotta be the luckiest QB of all time lol

Also the most talented, but his interception luck is ridiculous

— Connor Livesay (@ConnorNFLDraft) September 16, 2022

I’ve never seen anyone get away with throwing INT’s like Mahomes.

It’s remarkable. It cant be luck.

— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) September 16, 2022

What we all expected when we came into a Mahomes vs Herbert game was more turnover-worthy plays between the two of them than you can shake a stick at.

— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) September 16, 2022

https://twitter.com/ChetGresham/status/1570608566670704644

Yet it is a testament to Mahomes' greatness that he also managed to dazzle on multiple occasions even when avoiding so many turnovers. He evaded pressure and uncorked a beautiful touchdown pass to Jerick McKinnon for the home team's first score and then cut into a 10-point deficit with an unreal off-balance throw to Justin Watson for a 41-yard score.

The play is never over when @patrickmahomes has the ball. 🤯#LACvsKC on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/Fa02SqOP1P pic.twitter.com/pifmAyjunl

— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2022

Patrick Mahomes thinking about throwing a TD from a normal arm angle pic.twitter.com/tMWUlVSxZa

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) September 16, 2022

MAHOMES DART TO WATSON FOR SIX!🎯

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/aMvzyg0sbV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 16, 2022

Good ball 15 🥹

— Ty Hill (@cheetah) September 16, 2022

Patrick Mahomes has been intercepted three times tonight. Two of them were negated by penalty and another was overturned. So Mahomes hasn't been intercepted tonight. Then he goes and make a ridiculous throw moving up in the pocket. Can't give him extra opportunities.

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) September 16, 2022

It was fitting, though, that the most important play of the game for the Chiefs was the result of their defensive back completing an interception when the Chargers couldn't.

Just when it looked as if Los Angeles would take the lead in the fourth quarter, Jaylen Watson picked off Justin Herbert and returned it 99 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

JAYLEN WATSON 99-YARD INT TO THE HOUSE ‼️

(via @NFLonPrime)pic.twitter.com/cYdt3pZLwQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 16, 2022

One team dropped their 100-yard pick-six and the other one caught theirs.

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 16, 2022

Kansas City never relinquished the lead from there and took an important step toward winning a seventh straight division crown.

Even if its quarterback needed a little luck along the way.

Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes made yet another spectacular play for the team's first touchdown Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, which drew the attention of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.

Mahomes scrambled for a while before firing a sidearm throw to Jerick McKinnon for the nine-yard score:

Of course he did. #ChiefsKingdom #LACvsKC on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/Fa02SqPmRn pic.twitter.com/LK7G6HHy7b

— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2022

Parsons took to Twitter to express his desire to make dazzling plays like Mahomes does. No, he's not looking for a position change, but instead, he was referring to his play in Madden:

I wish I could play madden the way mahomes plays football !!!

— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) September 16, 2022

The way Mahomes plays football is unlike anything seen before in the NFL, as he uses his natural talent and instincts to excel at off-script plays. He thrives in chaos and looks like he enjoys pressure situations.

Thursday's play was just another addition to the 26-year-old's already impressive highlight reel.

The Arizona Cardinals defended State Farm Stadium after Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said the loose turf was a contributing factor to cornerback Trent McDuffie's hamstring injury and kicker Harrison Butker's ankle injury in Sunday's game.

"The entire field was replaced on Monday, August 22nd—the day after the last home preseason game vs. Baltimore—so it had it almost three full weeks before the Week 1 game vs. Kansas City," Cardinals spokesperson Mark Dalton told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. "That's more than enough time for the Tifway Bermuda 419 hybrid sod to take root, especially in 109 degrees and abundant sunshine."

Dalton also pointed to the stadium's track record.

"The field at State Farm Stadium is routinely ranked among the best—if not the best—among NFL players, including in surveys conducted by the NFLPA," he added. "Like all fields, the surface at State Farm Stadium undergoes the NFL's required testing and certification process both before and after games. Sunday it not only met but exceeded those standards."

The response came after Reid told reporters the turf was "a little bit loose" and "part of the Butker injury and McDuffie injury ... The turf picked up, and I would tell you that that did have something to do with it. If it didn't, I would tell you that, too. So it's not an excuse by any means, but I mean, you all can see it. Watch the tape."

Kansas City placed McDuffie on injured reserve, which means he will miss the next four games.

It is a difficult blow because the Chiefs face AFC West rivals in the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders during the next four contests. They also play Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during that stretch, meaning the defense will be tested.

Butker's injury was a story within the game, as Kansas City turned to safety Justin Reid to handle kicking duties after he exited.

Reid made one of the two extra points he attempted during the 44-21 victory.

This season's Super Bowl will be at State Farm Stadium, so any potential turf issues will be magnified as the season progresses. Yet the Cardinals feel it was up to standards for the Week 1 game.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost cornerback Trent McDuffie (hamstring) and kicker Harrison Butker (ankle) to injuries during Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals, and head coach Andy Reid pointed to the turf at Arizona's State Farm Stadium as the problem.

"They re-sodded it, which is a good thing because they practice in there," he said, per Adam Teicher of ESPN. "But it was a little bit loose. That's what happens sometimes when you re-sod is it's loose.

"It was part of the Butker injury and McDuffie injury. ... The turf picked up, and I would tell you that that did have something to do with it. If it didn't, I would tell you that, too. So it's not an excuse by any means, but I mean, you all can see it. Watch the tape."

Teicher noted McDuffie will miss at least four games, including Thursday's against the Los Angeles Chargers, after going on injured reserve with the setback.

Butker may also miss the game against the Chargers, and Kansas City responded by signing kicker Matt Ammendola to its practice squad. Ammendola appeared in 11 games for the New York Jets last season and made 13 of his 19 field goals (68.4 percent) and 14 of his 15 extra points (93.3 percent).

The Chiefs had to scramble during Sunday's game after Butker suffered the injury and turned to safety Justin Reid.

Reid kicked off and also made one of the two extra points he attempted.

Need me to do kickoff too? Bet. pic.twitter.com/wUUl4B9pCF

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 12, 2022

"This guy does have a lot of talent; it's real," Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub told reporters when discussing Reid's performance. "It's real and he did it. It's unbelievable, but it's impressive, as well."

Still, having a safety handling kicking duties probably isn't the best recipe for long-term success on special teams. Kansas City didn't have to worry too much about it during its Week 1 win over the Cardinals because the game was never in doubt as it built a 37-7 lead through three quarters.

Patrick Mahomes went 30-of-39 passing for 360 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, it announced Tuesday.

McDuffie, who suffered the injury in Sunday's season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, will be sidelined for at least the next four games.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that McDuffie was "going to struggle to make it to the game [on Thursday]," when Kansas City hosts the Los Angeles Chargers.

He also blamed the injuries to McDuffie and kicker Harrison Butker, who is dealing with an ankle ailment, on the condition of the field at Arizona's State Farm Stadium, via ESPN's Adam Teicher:

"They re-sodded it, which is a good thing because they practice in there. But it was a little bit loose. That's what happens sometimes when you re-sod is it's loose.

"It was part of the Butker injury and McDuffie injury. ... The turf picked up and I would tell you that that did have something to do with it. If it didn't, I would tell you that, too. So it's not an excuse by any means, but I mean, you all can see it. Watch the tape."

McDuffie suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game and was helped to the medical tent before being carted off the field and into the Kansas City locker room.

The Chiefs selected McDuffie in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Washington. He spent three seasons with the Huskies and posted 35 tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack and six pass breakups in 2021.

McDuffie will be eligible to return on Oct. 16 against the Buffalo Bills. He'll miss games against the Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders.

With McDuffie sidelined, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson should see more playing time. The Chiefs selected Williams in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of Fayetteville State and in the seventh round out of Washington State.