The Kansas City Chiefs face what may be their most important regular season game since Patrick Mahomes took over as full-time starting quarterback in 2017. Since then, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to a 95-30 regular season record, winning the AFC West division every season, and advancing to the conference championship game every year as well.
But Mahomes and the Chiefs’ incredible string of success stands in peril on Sunday when the Chiefs come out of their bye week — though still nursing the wounds of a devastating 28-21 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in their final game before the weeklong break — to face the new West division leaders, the Denver Broncos.
Bills rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston who collected his first NFL interception in the game off a Mahomes throw, couldn’t resist adding a little insult to injury in his postgame comments.
At the podium for the first time since the aftermath of the Buffalo game on Wednesday, Mahomes delivered a pointed, four-word response to the rookie.
In fact, Mahomes said that Hairston’s remarks might help the Chiefs deal with their immediate problem — the Broncos.
Behind sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, Denver’s first-round pick, 12th overall, out of Oregon in 2024, the Broncos have powered their way to what, at least so far, looks like their best season since 2015 when Denver won its third Super Bowl in franchise history.
More importantly, at 8-2, the Broncos stand 2 1/2 game ahead of Kansas City in the divisional standings. The Chiefs not only are looking a steep comeback to win the division, but they are currently out of a playoff position altogether, occupying the eighth seed in the conference.
A loss to the Broncos could effectively put an end to the Chiefs’ hopes of winning an eigth consecutive division title — and could put them in danger of not making the playoffs at all. According to a mathematical formula created by
Clearly, the Bills need to address some flaws in their performance if they want to prevent that scenario, and one of those flaws was identified by Hairston. In the aftermath of the Bills’ win over Kansas City, Hairston — who was playing in only his second NFL game — said that he had identified certain body language “tells” in wide receiver Xavier Worthy that enabled him to lock down the Chiefs’ second-year pass catcher.
“Finding a difference in his posture and his effort for real — when he knows he’s not getting it, when it’s a run,” Hairston said, as quoted by journalist Tyler Dunne. “So just applying what I saw from the film room and taking it out to the field. There are tells that everybody gives. It’s just about finding it.”
Told of Hairston’s remarks on Wednesday, by reporters at Mahomes’ media appearance, the Chiefs’ two-time NFL MVP signal-caller had four words to say.
“I appreciate the info,” Mahomes remarked.
The three-time Super Bowl winning QB went on to say that the information provided by Hairston would help the Chiefs in their crucial game against the Broncos on Sunday, in a game that will be televised to almost the entire country by CBS in the 4:25 Eastern time slot.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has been at the center of some major criticism over the past few days. Nix’s second year in the NFL has translated into more team success for the Broncos.
While many of Nix’s numbers are very good, it’s hard to point to a specific area of his game and identify clear individual improvements. Has his body of work so far lived up to ‘Sophomore Slump’ levels? I would say no, but others disagree.
But such is life for young players in this league, especially quarterbacks. It’s safe to say that Nix has been in a mini-slump over the past two weeks, and while the heat has risen around his name on the internet, he’s not hearing it for a very specific reason.
“For me, it’s quite simple, really. I deleted all my social media,” Nix said on Wednesday following practice. “I don’t even have it, so unless somebody says it to my face, I don’t really hear it. And nobody is ever bold enough to say it to your face (smiles). So really, I don’t get on social media.”
It’s a smart move. Social media can be all-consuming, and that’s doubly true for public figures like Nix. Spending time on social media and reading what people are saying can only detract from one’s focus on the task at hand.
And right now, that task is to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, who might be trailing the Broncos in the standings but have won the AFC West for the past nine years. The Chiefs remain the 800-pound gorilla to vanquish in the AFC, which is a big reason why they’re favored by 3.5 points to win in Denver on Sunday, even though the Broncos have a superior record (8-2 vs. 5-4).
Nix is going through a little adversity right now, although he’s only two weeks removed from a four-touchdown performance in the Broncos’ 44-24 blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys. He doesn’t get on social media, but it’s clear from his tone and body language that he understands that a.) he hasn’t been playing his best football of late and b.) people are probably talking about it.
There were countless context clues in the subject of the questions Nix was asked at the podium on Wednesday, too, but he stood up there and fielded each one, dismissing any notions that he’s been second-guessing himself on the field. He also accepted accountability for improving his play and seems resolved to improve as the season marches on.
This isn’t the first time Nix has faced adversity, nor will it be the last. His collegiate career at Auburn gave him a PhD in overcoming adversity, and he proved that through his body of work at Oregon, going from being viewed as a failed quarterback left for dead in the SEC to forging himself into a Heisman Trophy finalist and, of course, a first-round quarterback in the NFL.
What Nix is going through right now is no different, even if it may seem a bit more magnified because of the insane scrutiny levels of the NFL. He understands that he’s a role model to many people, especially kids, and that seems to keep the young quarterback grounded and focused.
“There was a time to where, it was early on in my career at Auburn, we were undefeated, and we went to Florida and we lost. And that’s when I really, actually got to know the bad side of this sport,” Nix said. “It’s unfortunate, for sure, but at the same time, it’s what comes with the territory, and it’s also a gift because it allows other people to see how you respond to adversity. There’s a lot of younger kids out there—a lot of people who want to be in our shoes, they want to grow up and be just like us. Hopefully, they’re better, but it’s good for them to see that not everything’s pretty. Not everything’s happy-go-lucky.”
Not everything unfolds as planned, and when we fail, it’s crucial to get up off the mat and keep trying. As Nix explained, if everything went according to plan, he’d be a five-time National Champion and already a Super Bowl winner.
“It definitely doesn’t go like you planned. If it was like I planned, I would have won every National Championship in college, we would have won the Super Bowl last year, and we’d be undefeated right now,” Nix said. “But unfortunately, every team is trying to do the same thing. So life’s not about being fair. You’re going to go through ups and downs. You’re going to be faced with adversity. And honestly, a lot of people aren’t going to like you.”
Nix relies on his faith and takes much wisdom, direction, and encouragement from the Bible, especially in times of adversity. It helps him keep his perspective when he’s walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
“I think the thing it comes down to, the Bible talks about humility. The Bible talks about not being selfish,” Nix said. “And it would be selfish of me to think I’m owed a certain amount of respect or something else, and it’s like, we’re all human. We’re all going through this battle together. But when the Bible talks about humility, it’s all about seeing other people, being a great teammate, being a great role model to other people who are watching. At the end of the day, you’ve just got to do your best. The best is good enough for me, and the best is good enough for the Lord. That’s all He asks you to do.”
Nix is obviously saying that he’s doing his best, but that’s one of the brutal truths about life, regardless of one’s station: it’s not always good enough. But those who can persevere through times of hardship are usually, more often than not, rewarded for their diligence, which is a Biblical principle, sure, but also one that’s very true to life.
Nix explained that he feels fortunate to be in the position he’s in. Amid the slump, he’s still done his part to help get his team out to its first 8-2 start since 2015.
And those kids are always watching, so Nix keeps his head down and grinds through it all because the best things in life don’t come easy. Sometimes you’ve got to bleed for those blessings, which includes the responsibility of being a role model, according to Nix.
“So I’m proud to be in this situation. I know it’s not easy, but a lot of things in life worth having aren’t easy,” Nix said. So I can promise you… there’s always going to be negativity. There’s always going to be people in positions that literally have no idea what it’s like, no idea what we’re going through, but at the end of the day, it truly is a blessing because you can impact people through it all.”
With nearly half the season left to go (seven games), Nix has passed for 2,126 yards and 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He’s also rushed for 205 yards and three additional touchdowns.
Nix’s completion percentage (60.9%) and quarterback rating (85.7) have declined year over year, but the season isn’t over yet. Keep in mind that, from 2016 on, outside of Russell Wilson’s 26 touchdown passes in 2023, the most passing scores a Broncos quarterback had thrown for in a season was 18.
Nix has hit that number with seven games left to go this season. Combined with the Broncos sitting at 8-2 and in possession of the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture, let’s keep in mind that he has this team sitting pretty right now.
Not everything has gone according to plan. So what? What matters is that Nix has kept his nose to the grindstone, delivering results even in the face of immense adversity and no shortage of setbacks.
Let Nix continue his tumble through the Refiner’s Fire. What comes out the other end could be more than a diamond in the rough. This is how franchise quarterbacks are forged.