Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes both said after Friday night’s loss that the Chargers came out playing harder from the opening kickoff, and the Chiefs were too slow to respond.
“We can learn from this as we move forward,” Reid said. “I’ve got to make sure I get my team in a better state there coming out, playing with more emotion. We were a little flat that first half, and that cost us.”
Reid noted that the Chiefs’ offense was much better later in the game, but they had already dug a hole for themselves.
“The first half we were off a bit, and then the second half it picked up a bit,” Reid said. “I’ve got to make sure that we start faster. . . . I’ve got to make sure that we come out with better emotion. . . . I thought they did a better job in that area.”
Mahomes expressed similar concerns.
“They came out with more energy than we did, their defense than our offense,” Mahomes said.
Mahomes said he’s not sure why the team didn’t play its best, but that they were not playing up to their own high standards.
“I thought we had energy at practice yesterday and all throughout the week, but if you don’t come out with the right mindset, you get beat,” Mahomes said. “The Chargers came out with the right mindset, and they beat us. . . . They definitely came out with more energy than we did. In this league, everybody’s too good for you to not match the energy of our opponent, so I think we learned a valuable lesson.”
