Head coach Andy Reid sent a clear message to quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense after a dramatic win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season.

© Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesHead coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs arrives prior to a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-0 after claiming yet another hard-fought win in the 2024 NFL season, this time against the Atlanta Falcons. The record is great, but Andy Reid knows Patrick Mahomes and company still need to improve.

The truth is the defense saved the night on Sunday after the offense allowed the Falcons to have possession late in the fourth quarter. Nick Bolton managed to stop Bijan Robinson on a fourth-down situation to let the Chiefs hold on to their lead, but Reid doesn’t want to be in that situation again.

“We’ve got a ton of things to work on,” Reid said in his postgame press conference, with a clear warning for Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense. “We need to do a better job offensively on that last drive and not put the defense in that position. But we stepped up on the defensive side and did a nice job of holding them out of there.”

Reid and Mahomes know each other too well to know these comments will not create any friction between them. The Chiefs quarterback, in fact, is always the first to be self-critical when things don’t go to plan. That’s why his blunt admission after the Falcons game was not surprising at all.

Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mahomes lets Reid know he knows he must improve for the Chiefs

“We haven’t played well, in really, all three games,” Mahomes said. “We’ve been able to win, and that speaks to the character of the team, the grit, and how we’ve been in these situations before. But I’ll speak especially offensively for me, I feel like I haven’t played very well. That’s not a stats thing. I just feel like I’m missing opportunities whenever they’re out there and not throwing the ball in the exact spot I want it to be at. So, that’s about me getting back to my fundamentals, putting our guys in the right position, and then we got to execute at a higher level offensively. If teams are going to make us drive the field we have to prove that we’re able to do that.”

Mahomes completed 26 of his 39 passes against the Falcons, throwing for 217 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. These numbers were enough for the Chiefs to emerge victorious, but they don’t meet the high standard set by the two-time NFL MVP.

The Texas Tech product doesn’t need anyone else to tell him what’s wrong, he’s the first to admit there’s work to be done. And Mahomes knows exactly which are the areas where he needs to improve.

“I think just footwork stuff,” Mahomes said. “I’ve got to get my base right. I think I’m trusting my arm too much on some of those throws. Even the first throw of the game, I just kind of flicked it – kind of off-balance – and don’t hit Rashee (Rice) going down the seam there. I’ve got to get back to my fundamentals. That’s stuff that I go through sometimes [but] not usually early in the season like this. Luckily for me, I’m not playing my best football and we’re still getting wins. I’ve got to get better to make the offense better.”