Patrick Mahomes has hit 100 regular-season wins with the Chiefs, and if you ask him which one stands out most, he doesn’t go with the gaudy passing line or the highlight reel. He points to the one that meant the most.
“as I’ve gone throughout my career, I think I’ve gotten better and better at winning,” Mahomes said after Sunday’s win against the Chargers. “It’s not always pretty.
It’s not always how I want it to be. I want to throw three touchdowns, four touchdowns, and I want to put up big stats.”
That’s the thread running through his career now: the wins keep arriving, even when the box score doesn’t sparkle. Mahomes tied Tom Brady on Sunday as the fastest quarterback to reach 100 regular-season victories, and the milestone gives a good excuse to look back at the five wins that best capture how his run in Kansas City has unfolded.
- Dec. 31, 2017: Chiefs 27, Broncos 24
The first one matters for what came next.
It didn’t swing the standings much, but it helped set up the offseason that followed, when the Chiefs traded Alex Smith to Washington and handed the starting job to Mahomes. There was already a hint of what was coming in that game, too. On one scramble to the right, Mahomes drifted backward while coaches yelled for him to throw it away, then fired a strike to Demarcus Robinson for a first down.
Even the end of that game had a little chaos in it. With Kansas City comfortably ahead in the fourth quarter, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy asked Andy Reid about going to third-string quarterback Tyler Bray to close things out.
After Denver rallied to tie the game, helped by a Bray fumble that was returned for a touchdown, Mahomes went back in. Albert Wilson turned to him on the sideline before the next drive and said, “We’re about to go down there and score.”
They did. Mahomes got his first win and his first fourth-quarter comeback. More of both were coming.
- Sept. 16, 2018: Chiefs 42, Steelers 27
Mahomes has thrown six touchdown passes in a game twice, and this was one of them. But the numbers only tell part of it.
This was his third career start, and he threw six touchdowns against only five incompletions. Kansas City needed less than four minutes for its longest touchdown drive of the day. The Chiefs also snapped a 32-year drought without a win in Pittsburgh.
Still, the bigger meaning came from what this game said about the early months of Mahomes’ career. The week before, he’d already thrown four touchdowns against the Chargers.
Doing it again against a Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger team made it clear this wasn’t a hot streak. It was something bigger.
“I see Pat doing this all season long,” tight end Travis Kelce said after the game, which also brought him his first two touchdowns from Mahomes.
And, as it turned out, plenty more would follow.
- Dec. 16, 2021: Chiefs 34, Chargers 28 (OT)
This one belongs to Mahomes, but it also belongs to Travis Kelce.
Kansas City never led in the second half, and late in the game the Chargers were in position to pull level with the Chiefs in the standings. Mahomes tied it with a 7-yard touchdown to Kelce with 76 seconds left, then found him again in overtime for the 34-yard winner. Kelce slipped through the back end of the defense and finished it off.
Mahomes threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns. Kelce had 10 catches for a career-high 191 yards and two scores.
Mahomes is 8-0 in regular-season overtime games, and this was the only walk-off touchdown of his career. The production was huge, the stakes were real, and the connection between quarterback and tight end was front and center.
- Dec. 9, 2018: Chiefs 27, Ravens 24 (OT)
This is the one Mahomes says featured the best throw of his career.
The situation made it unforgettable. Kansas City trailed by seven with 1:29 left and faced fourth-and-9 in its own territory.
Mahomes escaped pressure to his right, then just before going out of bounds launched a pass that hit Tyreek Hill in stride for 48 yards. That play set up the tying score with 53 seconds left.
The Chiefs had already seen a chance to win slip away in regulation when they missed a 43-yard field goal after Justin Houston forced Lamar Jackson to fumble. But they finished it in overtime with a short kick.
Even with some uneven stretches in the game, Mahomes found the answer when the moment demanded it. That has become part of his identity.
- Dec. 29, 2019: Chiefs 31, Chargers 21
The numbers were modest by Mahomes standards: 174 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception. But this win sits at the top because of what else was happening around it.
As Kansas City handled the Chargers, the Dolphins upset the Patriots, giving the Chiefs a first-round bye. CBS play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan was calling that game when the news broke, and inside the stadium the reaction started to ripple through the crowd and then onto the field.
“I remember being on the field, and it wasn’t even about us and me winning the game - but hearing the fans and how excited they were getting,” Mahomes said. “You knew, just subconsciously, that the Patriots had lost, and were going to get that home field in the playoffs.
“I think that’s probably the one that sticks out to me more than anything.”
That’s why it lands at No. 1. Not for the stat line, but for the weight of the moment.
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A week after the offense looked like it needed a reset, the Chiefs came out of the win over the Chargers with a much different feel. The 22-6 result was built on a more balanced attack, with Kansas City adjusting to protect Patrick Mahomes and spread the ball around while injuries continue to shape the passing game. Kenneth Walker III gave the ground game real juice with 128 yards and two touchdowns, and Xavier Worthy kept his role growing with seven catches for 73 yards.
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Andy Reid has already singled out Worthys toughness and versatility, and the young receiver now has a chance to turn one strong afternoon into something bigger. For a player still chasing his first 100-yard game, the next step is obvious enough: keep building on the momentum and prove the Chiefs can keep expanding his role without missing a beat. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger concern is less about whether Butker can still handle pressure and more about the long-range consistency that has slipped a bit this season. He remains the kind of kicker the Chiefs are happy to lean on in tight moments, but the recent dip from distance is the part worth watching as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]