Patrick Mahomes looked much more like his familiar self Sunday night, and the Kansas City Chiefs needed nearly every bit of it.
Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas City survived the Indianapolis Colts 33-30 in overtime, giving the Chiefs a 2-0 start to the season.
The performance represented a significant jump from Kansas City’s season opener against Denver. Mahomes completed 32 of 47 passes without throwing an interception and finished with a 114.0 passer rating.
It was also his highest passing total in a regular-season game since Week 7 of the 2023 season.
Kansas City had plenty of help around its quarterback.
Travis Kelce delivered one of his biggest performances of the young season with nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Worthy and Jalen Royals also caught touchdown passes as Mahomes spread the ball around the Chiefs’ offense.
Running back Kenneth Walker III continued to give Kansas City another dimension. Walker rushed for 117 yards and added 61 yards as a receiver, becoming a problem for Indianapolis both out of the backfield and on the ground.
His biggest contribution came when the Chiefs needed it most.
With Kansas City facing third-and-2 in overtime, Mahomes connected with Walker for a 22-yard gain that moved the Chiefs deep into Indianapolis territory. The play put Harrison Butker in position to finish the night, and the veteran kicker converted a 40-yard field goal as overtime expired.
It capped a dramatic night for a Chiefs offense that appears to be finding its footing quickly.
Mahomes’ performance was particularly encouraging after his return from a major knee injury. He showed some rust in Kansas City’s Week 1 victory over Denver, passing for 184 yards while throwing two touchdowns and an interception.
Against Indianapolis, there was considerably less rust and considerably more of the quarterback Kansas City fans have grown accustomed to watching.
The Colts made the Chiefs work for this one, but when the game reached its biggest moments, Kansas City’s quarterback and his revamped collection of weapons had the answers.
Two games into the season, the Chiefs are unbeaten. More importantly for Kansas City, their offense just provided an early reminder of how dangerous it can be when Mahomes gets rolling.
