Patrick Mahomes Says Week 16 Loss to Raiders Turned Their Season Around – ‘We All Had To Look at Ourselves in the Mirror’

The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl for the second straight season and a fourth time in five years, but the season looked much different seven weeks ago.

After a season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions, the Chiefs went on a 6-0 run to right the early ship. Kansas City then hit a rut with losses at the Denver Broncos, against the Philadelphia Eagles, at the Green Bay Packers, and to the Buffalo Bills in a tough seven-game stretch in which the team went just 3-4.

Las Vegas Loss the Reason Kansas City Is Back in Sin City

After a Week 15 win over the New England Patriots, a home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders dropped the Chiefs to 9-6 on the season and essentially cost Kansas City the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Despite winning the AFC West, Kansas City ended the regular season as the No. 3 seed and would need to win two road games, at Buffalo and at the Baltimore Ravens to make it back to the big game.

The Chiefs did just that, and it’s no surprise that both head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes point back to the loss to the Raiders as the reason they’re now playing for a third Super Bowl title.

“We responded after that loss. I can point back to that as a moment for us,” said Reid. “The team came together after that and stepped up to adversity.”

Kansas City has won five straight games since the loss — including three playoff games and two road tilts. The team has also allowed just 14 points per game over that span, holding three teams to 12 points or less.

While the defense has been another weapon for the Chiefs, the team will still go as far as Mahomes can take them. He too agreed that the Las Vegas loss changed this latest iteration of the potential Kansas City dynasty.

MORE: Mahomes Embraces ‘Villain’ Role

“I think we all had to look at ourselves in the mirror. I think our whole team did that,” said Mahomes. “We carried that momentum in the playoffs. Sometimes you need to get your tail whooped to be better on the other side. So I appreciate the Raiders for beating us like that cause that’s gotten us to this game.”

Mahomes may appreciate it even more as the team could be in the Raiders’ locker room come Sunday night, celebrating the NFL‘s first back-to-back Super Bowl title run since 2005.

As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!