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After another loss, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is looking inward ahead of Week 3.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has done it all during his seven NFL seasons, clogging the record book with all kinds of offensive statistics.

But there is one play Mahomes hopes to never see again, one he was forced to accomplish in last week’s win over the New York Giants. The Chiefs quarterback spoke out about the important play after the 22-9 victory.

Patrick Mahomes Forced to Play Defense

Mahomes has been forced to play many roles for the struggling Chiefs, leading the team in rushing through the first three weeks of the season as the passing game has struggled. He had to do even more on Sunday, playing a bit of defense to keep a loose ball from the Giants.

With less than two minutes remaining in the first half and the score tied, Mahomes threw a backward pass to running back Isiah Pacheco. The running back struggled to control the pass and it bounced on the turf, with only some of the players realizing it was a live ball.

Mahomes was one of them, with the quarterback scrambling to tackle Giants defender Bobby Okereke as he was recovering the ball. Mahomes ended up grabbing the loose ball and the Chiefs retained possession.

After the game, Mahomes said he was happy with his tackle — but never wants to do it again.

“I will say it was a great tackle by myself,” Mahomes said, via SI.com. “That was a big-time tackle. I’m not going to try to do that again, but that was — we’ll throw the ball forward from now on.”

The play wasn’t officially scored as a tackle, as Okereke never gained full control of the ball. Mahomes does have five career tackles.

Even though it was Pacheco who appeared to turn the wrong way while looking for the screen pass, Mahomes said it was his fault for throwing a backward pass that became a live ball when the running back couldn’t handle it.

“Yeah, I can’t throw the ball backwards,” Mahomes said. “That’s not good. So, just letting the rush get to me a bit and trying to throw it out, looking to see if the guy is actually in the spot that we’ve got to get to.

“Obviously, did it once. I knew immediately it was backwards. You could tell I’m running to go recover the ball even though they had blown the whistle. In the second, did it again. I don’t think I’ve done it maybe ever in my career.”

Patrick Mahomes Earned Praise

While Chiefs coach Andy Reid may have held his breath watching the team’s MVP quarterback throwing his body to make a tackle and save a lost fumble, he was impressed with Mahomes’ willingness to do whatever it took to win.

A fumble would have put the Giants deep inside Chiefs’ territory with the game still tied at 6-6, but instead the Chiefs were able to take a late lead and go on to win the game.

“That’s how he rolls,” Reid said, via The Athletic. “He goes 100 miles an hour. … It seems like every week he does something like that. The guys know that he’s all in. It’s not like he’s just throwing the ball back there. He’s going to do whatever it takes to come out on top in the game.”

Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty

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