Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes: 'I need to play better'

One doesn't need to be a football analyst to understand that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and 2018 NFL Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes is far from enjoying the best football of his already impressive pro career this fall. Mahomes has thrown nine interceptions over the past six games, he's currently 15th in the league with a 97.9 passer rating, per ESPN stats, and he posted a career-worst 6.0 total QBR in last Sunday's 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans that dropped the Chiefs to 3-4 on the season. 

As Mahomes and company prepare to welcome the 2-5 New York Giants to town for a "Monday Night Football" matchup, the star QB accepted blame for his performances and the team's position in the standings while speaking with reporters Thursday.

"You can just watch the tape and know that I need to play better in order to have success," Mahomes explained about his day to forget against Tennessee, per Adam Teicher of ESPN. "There were plays where guys were open. There were plays where we had matchups down the field that I didn't hit that I usually would give those guys opportunities to make plays.

"I've said something to them that I've got to be better. At the same time, they have that mindset that they're going to try to build me up. It's a thing where you're not going to play your best game every single game and that's when you have to rely on your other guys to kind of step up and make plays for you."

Chiefs coach Andy Reid defended his star signal-caller and left no doubt he believes Mahomes will reclaim his MVP form. That's hard to argue considering the one-time champion's resume. However, such votes of confidence don't erase the fact the 26-year-old is well on his way to enduring the worst season of what so many assume is already a Hall of Fame career.