Patrick Mahomes: Rushing TD gave me confidence I could be myself
Mahomes also threw two TDs in his return from a torn ACL.
Patrick Mahomes returned from a torn ACL and LCL injury in his left knee to lead the Chiefs in a 31-10 win over the Broncos, marking the team's first win of the 2026 NFL season. Despite an underwhelming passing performance (15-of-27, 184 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 6.8 yards per attempt, 86.0 passer rating), the Chiefs secured the victory with running back Kenneth Walker III's dominant play.
The 31-10 triumph came with Walker rushing for 173 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown, and the defense recording four sacks and two takeaways from Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. The Chiefs' less Mahomes-dependent offensive strategy, spearheaded by Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy, appears to be a successful formula, as they ran 38 times for 220 yards, maintaining a 57-43 run-pass ratio.
This aggressive running game is expected to continue, with Mahomes expected to thrive in future big passing games, particularly against softer defenses.
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