The Kansas City Chiefs opened their season with plenty to be excited about, including the return of Patrick Mahomes and a home win over last season's AFC West winners, the Denver Broncos. In the 31-10 victory, Mahomes didn't have a strong passing performance, although he displayed that his legs are working just fine after recovering from the brutal torn ACL and MCL injuries he underwent surgery for late last season. Early in the game, he saw an opening and ran for a diving touchdown to give his team a 7-0 lead.
Interestingly enough, that play got called out during the telecast with commentators and analysts suggesting the referees missed Travis Kelce's hold that allowed Mahomes' touchdown. "It was definitely a questionable play, that’s one of those where you get up slowly like please don’t be any laundry on the field," Kelce admitted on his "New Heights" podcast alongside his brother, retired NFL player-turned-analyst, Jason Kelce. Smith Reveals Bizarre Reason He Left 49ers Out of His Top 5 NFL Teams "Can't do it.
Almost cost us," the Chiefs tight end admitted. "And to be honest, that would have been Pat Mahomes' second rushing touchdown called back in two plays." He shared that if they'd called it, it would've taken the Chiefs out of the red zone and definitely brought some heat and criticism his way for the mistake. Kelce also called what he did "risky business" on the field.
Would a call have made a major difference? That's hard to say, since the Chiefs really seemed to dominate this game against a team that reached the NFL Playoffs last season and was on the verge of a Super Bowl run. Calling back Mahomes' rushing touchdown attempt may have been a major momentum killer and gave the Broncos that edge.
Still, Denver's defense struggled all game to contain running back Kenneth Walker, a new offseason acquisition for the Chiefs. Beyond that controversial non-call, Kelce also had a decent first game of the season, finishing with three receptions for 71 yards. He got 59 of those yards from one reception, but the Broncos stopped him short of scoring a touchdown of his own.
Kansas City will look to get to 2-0 when they host the Indianapolis Colts for NBC's "Sunday Night Football" on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 8:20 p.m. More news: Russell Wilson Makes Thoughts Clear on Lamar Jackson After Ravens’ Week 1 Win For more about the Kansas City Chiefs, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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