Cris Collinsworth found himself under fire again during Sunday Night Football, and this time the backlash centered on one fourth-quarter play that had fans accusing him of going too far in praising Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs’ 33-30 overtime win over the Colts should have been the headline from Kansas City’s trip to Indianapolis. Instead, a near-interception by Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner became the moment that set off another round of criticism for the longtime broadcaster.
On third-and-5, Gardner got both hands on a Mahomes pass but couldn’t hang on for the pick. Collinsworth’s call immediately drew attention: “Mahomes threw it so hard Sauce couldn’t catch it!” he said on the broadcast.
Plenty of viewers didn’t buy that framing. To them, the play looked like a missed chance for Indianapolis, not a Mahomes highlight.
One fan wrote, “Cris Collinsworth gives CREDIT to Patrick Mahomes for throwing the ball so hard that it couldn’t be intercepted. Like cmon dude the glaze,” while another added, “Seriously, can Chris Collinsworth and Patrick Mahomes get a room already!”
A third fan posted, “Leave it to Cris Collinsworth to find a way to glaze Patrick Mahomes for throwing a pass that was nearly picked off,” and a fourth account summed it up with, “Cris Collinsworth every time Patrick Mahomes does ANYTHING at all.”
The criticism came on the heels of similar complaints in Week 1, when viewers took issue with Collinsworth’s handling of Sam Darnold’s hip injury on air.
Mahomes, meanwhile, continues to draw close attention as he works back from his knee injury. After a recent win, he told Chiefs owner Tavia Hunt that he felt good being back on the field, a moment captured on camera during Kansas City’s Monday night victory over the Broncos.
With the overtime escape, Kansas City moved to 2-0. Next up is Miami on Sunday, a matchup the Chiefs are not expected to have much trouble with.
In Other News...
Chiefs Fans Turned Collinsworths Mahomes Commentary Into Another National Debate
A late-moment call from Sunday nights broadcast quickly became part of the Week 2 conversation around the Chiefs, and not because of anything that happened between the lines. During Kansas Citys overtime win over the Colts, Cris Collinsworth drew attention when he credited Patrick Mahomes for putting enough on a throw that Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner could not come away with the interception, a remark that landed awkwardly with plenty of viewers.
For Chiefs fans, it was another reminder that Mahomes every move can become a national talking point, even when the bigger story is the team leaving Indianapolis with a 2-0 start. The play itself never changed the result, but the reaction around it showed how quickly a routine broadcast comment can turn into a fresh debate whenever Kansas City is on a big stage. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Escape Fuels One Roster Debate Fans Wont Drop
The Chiefs 33-30 overtime escape against the Colts gave Kansas City plenty to sort through beyond the final score, because the game turned into one of those early-season reminders that not every win feels equally comforting. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were again central to the attack, while Kenneth Walker, Nohl Williams and Tyquan Thornton each drew attention for the kind of impact that can shape how a roster looks as the year goes on.
Xavier Worthys quiet outing stood out in a different way, especially in a game where every offensive snap seemed to carry extra weight. When a team survives a tense finish like this, the next conversation usually isnt just about the win itself - it is about which performances are sustainable, which ones are temporary, and which roster debates are only going to get louder from here. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Snap Counts Just Raised A Tough Question About This Defense
The Chiefs Week 2 overtime win over the Colts offered more than just another early-season escape act. The snap counts painted a clearer picture of how the defense is being sorted out on the fly, with some roles looking settled and others still very much in flux. Safeties Alohi Gilman and Jaden Hicks were on the field for every defensive snap, while the workload at linebacker and in the secondary suggested the coaching staff is still sorting out which players it trusts in the biggest situations.
Jeffrey Bassas limited usage stood out, and so did the relatively small role for Mansoor Delane, both signs that Kansas City is still calibrating its personnel early in the season. The broader takeaway is less about one game and more about the way this defense is being managed as the staff tries to balance familiarity, performance and reliability. With the lineup still taking shape, these snap totals may be an early clue to where the real confidence sits. [Read more 🡒]