KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes says his recent rash of turnovers isn’t because of the Chiefs‘ defensive problems or an increased urgency to score every time he gets the ball.
“Not at all,” Mahomes said Wednesday as the Chiefs began preparations for Sunday’s game at Washington. “We try to score every single time we touch the football. That’s how it’s been my entire career here, and that was the precedent that was set before I even started here.
“That’s kind of how I have my mindset going into every single game is that, when we get an opportunity to go out there and have success and be successful, we have to capitalize on that. It has nothing to do with whatever is happening on the other side of the ball. It’s just our job as an offense on this team.”
The Chiefs are last in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 32.6 points per game. Mahomes has committed six turnovers in the Chiefs’ past three games, and his six interceptions this season match his total for all of 2020.
Coach Andy Reid suggested earlier in the week that Mahomes was trying to do too much because the Chiefs are allowing so many points.
“Pat’s wired like a linebacker,” Reid said. “That’s his thinking. He wants to get after you every snap, so he tries to maximize each play. … Sometimes you can try so hard that you do something that you normally wouldn’t do. He realizes that scoring touchdowns is an important thing right now, and he’s going to try to do the best he can to do that. So there’s a time and a place where you’ve got to pull back on some of those things and just take what’s given and go with it.”
Mahomes said after Sunday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills that he would reevaluate the way he goes about his business to cut down on turnovers. On Wednesday, he said he would continue to “tinker with things” to find the answer.
“You don’t want to lose yourself. You don’t want to lose things that you’ve done so well so long,” Mahomes said. “But at the same time I’ve got to make sure I’m firm with the fundamentals and make sure I stay within the pocket. It’s the same thing every year when you kind of see me get a little off. You’ve got to go back to the basics and make sure I perfect those things, and then I think everything else will come along with it.”