The Kansas City Chiefs won in dominant fashion on Sunday, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers behind a complete team performance.
Here are some quick notes from the game.
1. Coach Reid recorded his 102nd regular-season victory with Kansas City on Sunday.
Sunday's victory marked Reid's 102nd regular-season win at the helm for the red and gold, moving him past the late Marty Schottenheimer for the second-most victories in franchise history. Only the legendary Hank Stram (124) recorded more wins with the Chiefs.
Additionally, Reid is now one of just four head coaches in NFL history to rank in the top two of all-time regular season wins for two current franchises. He joined Dan Reeves (Denver and Atlanta), Tom Coughlin (Jacksonville and New York Giants) and Tony Dungy (Tampa Bay and Indianapolis) in achieving that feat.
2. Patrick Mahomes was excellent throughout the game.
Mahomes completed 23-of-30 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's victory, recording his second-highest passer rating (135.1) of the season. It was Mahomes' 18th career performance with at least three passing touchdowns and zero interceptions, which is the most such games through 61 career starts in NFL history and four games more than the next closest player (Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers).
During the Chiefs' eight-game winning streak, Mahomes has thrown 15 touchdowns to just four interceptions while posting a passer rating of 97.8.
3. Byron Pringle had a night to remember.
The Chiefs needed somebody to step up with All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce absent due to COVID-19 protocols, and Pringle answered the call. He hauled in six grabs for 75 yards (the second-most of his career) while recording his first career multi-touchdown performance.
His second score – a 16-yard grab in which Pringle made multiple defenders miss – was particularly impressive.
4. Mecole Hardman found the end zone for the second time this season.
Hardman was responsible for the Chiefs' third score of the night, as he caught a quick pass behind the line of scrimmage and alluded multiple defenders to find paydirt on an 8-yard touchdown.
He was one of nine receivers to catch a pass – and one of six to haul in a gain of double-digit yardage – for Kansas City on the night.
5. The defense continued its dominant stretch of football.
In what's been one of the more remarkable turnarounds in recent memory, there isn't a better defense in the NFL right now than Kansas City's. The Chiefs yielded just 10 points on Sunday, marking the seventh time in their last eight games that they allowed 17 points or fewer.
Overall, the Chiefs own the top scoring defense in the NFL (12.9) since Week 8.
6. Kansas City took the ball away three times defensively.
The Chiefs racked up three takeaways in the contest, including an interception by cornerback Charvarius Ward on the Steelers' first play of their second offensive series. Kansas City turned that turnover into a field goal, and then a bit later, safety Tyrann Mathieu recovered a fumble that the Chiefs converted into a touchdown just seven snaps later early in the third quarter.
Defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton was responsible for the Chiefs' third takeaway, punctuating a brilliant overall performance with a strip sack late in the matchup.
7. Rookie cornerback Dicaprio Bootle led the Chiefs in tackles.
Bootle, who was activated from the practice squad prior to the game, recorded the first defensive snaps of his career on Sunday and was sure to make the most of them. He tallied 27 snaps on defense and recorded a team-leading eight tackles.
The Chiefs' big lead meant that players like Bootle, cornerback Josh Jackson (9 snaps) and linebacker Dorian O'Daniel (22 snaps) each had the opportunity to amass a season-high in playing time and record valuable experience on the field.
8. Elliott Fry made three field goals in his Chiefs' debut.
The Chiefs added Fry to the roster after kicker Harrison Butker landed on the COVID-19 list, and while it wasn't a perfect night, he certainly did a solid job despite some windy conditions. Fry connected on 3-of-4 field goal attempts, making kicks from 44, 34 and 30 yards. He was also 3-for-4 on extra point attempts.
It's never ideal losing one of the best kickers in the NFL, which Butker is, but Fry got the job done for the most part on Sunday.
9. Kansas City has now won an unprecedented six consecutive AFC West titles.
The victory, coupled with the Los Angeles Chargers' loss to Houston, secured a sixth-straight AFC West title for Kansas City, which is something that had never previously been done in the history of the division. The 2011-15 Broncos and 1972-76 Raiders each won five-straight division titles, but the Chiefs are now the lone team to earn the AFC West crown in six-consecutive seasons.
That streak is tied for the third-longest stretch by any team in the NFL since 1970, trailing only the 2009-19 Patriots (11 straight) and 1973-79 Rams (7 straight).
10. It was also the Chiefs' eighth victory in a row.
The win continued a remarkable stretch that's helped the Chiefs climb back from a 3-4 start to now sit at 11-4 and become the first team in the AFC to punch their ticket to the postseason. Kansas City is just the ninth team since 1990 to win 11+ games after beginning the season with a 3-4 record, and they're the first team to do so since 2008.
There's still work to be done, however, as the Chiefs set their sights on locking up the top overall seed in the conference, and that mission continues on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
