'Ultimate competitor': Injured Mahomes lifts Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Andy Reid had a bully thought early successful the week that Patrick Mahomes would beryllium disposable to play for the Kansas City Chiefs successful Saturday's crippled against the Houston Texans astatine Arrowhead Stadium. He sewage that consciousness from 8 seasons of coaching Mahomes.

"He spoils the canine retired of us," Reid said aft the Chiefs hit the Texans 27-19 to move to 14-1; they would clinch the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed by beating the Steelers connected Christmas Day successful Pittsburgh.

"So reliable mentally and physically, truthful you conscionable get utilized to it. Most guys don't travel backmost from that for illustration he did, but he group his mind to it and past he jumped successful that training room and stayed successful there."

What Reid didn't cognize is that Mahomes, who was knocked retired of past week's crippled against the Cleveland Browns pinch a high-ankle sprain, would beryllium arsenic effective arsenic he was. Mahomes scored the game's first touchdown connected a 15-yard tally and besides scrambled for 12 yards earlier successful that drive.

He was besides 28-of-41 for 260 yards and a touchdown.

"I didn't deliberation he'd beryllium capable to get retired and tally for illustration that aliases would tally for illustration that, but he did a awesome occupation pinch each that," Reid said.

Mahomes said he wished early successful the believe week connected Wednesday that he would beryllium capable to play. He could works to make a throw, maneuver good capable successful the pouch to protect himself and moreover tally if the business called for it.

"It's conscionable the stopping that was going to beryllium hard,'' Mahomes said.

On his touchdown run, Mahomes was deed difficult by 2 Houston defenders arsenic he crossed into the extremity zone.

"Once I sewage moving I saw the extremity area and conscionable tried to get up successful the aerial and get successful the extremity zone," he said. "It wasn't for illustration mounting a reside aliases thing for illustration that. I conscionable tried to play shot astatine the extremity of the day."

Mahomes did admit sending a connection to his teammates. He often urges them to play done injuries that, for illustration his, are much of the pain-management variety.

"I inquire a batch from the guys astir me, and truthful I consciousness for illustration if I'm going to inquire them to play done pain, if I'm going to inquire them to play done small nicks and bruises and worldly for illustration that, I've sewage to do it," Mahomes said. "That's thing that I pridefulness myself on, is being retired location pinch my guys and playing football, and I'm not going to put america successful a position to beryllium successful a bad spot aliases suffer a shot game, but if I consciousness for illustration I tin compete and win, I'll beryllium retired connected that shot field."

Guard Trey Smith saw Mahomes play done a akin wounded 2 years agone successful the playoffs and Super Bowl. He said he had nary uncertainty Mahomes would play against the Texans.

"He's the eventual competitor successful my mind," Smith said. "I haven't been astir a feline for illustration that, astatine slightest successful my diversion career, and for me, I cognize that if that dude's going to beryllium capable to walk, he's going to play.

"I deliberation it's almost much demoralizing for the different squad wherever it's for illustration they put a batch of credence into the ankle injury, and he conscionable benignant of laughed it disconnected and ran it correct into extremity zone."

Mahomes indicated he would beryllium successful the lineup for the crippled against the Steelers.

"You're not going to consciousness great," he said. "That's benignant of conscionable what it is. You don't make excuses successful this league. You spell retired and play football, and you conflict until the very end, and you effort to get a triumph astatine the extremity of the day. You're motivated to play a awesome shot squad to play successful Pittsburgh successful a awesome environment, a awesome stadium. It'll beryllium rocking playing connected Christmas, truthful everybody's going to beryllium watching.

"I deliberation much than thing it's conscionable getting disconnected your feet erstwhile you can, but astatine the aforesaid time, studying and getting the crippled scheme in, and Coach does a awesome occupation of it, but we knew this was portion of our schedule from the very beginning, and past coaches prepared us, truthful let's spell retired location and play our champion football."