Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets the crowd hyped before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What Chiefs’ Mahomes Still Has To Prove

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs' resilience and clutch gene will be tested against the Detroit Lions. The Lions are leading one of the most productive offenses in the NFL, and while the Chiefs' offense has started to heat up, the Lions' offense is humming on a different level.

Patrick Mahomes has played a huge part in orchestrating their offense and doing what he can, given his weapons. Rashee Rice is set to make his anticipated return next week against the Las Vegas Raiders, but for now, will their offensive personnel be able to match the Lions' offense?

MVP Stock

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Eric Williams is an NFL reporter as well as a sports writer for FOX Sports, and he updated his rankings of top MVP candidates after week five wrapped up. Despite losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mahomes holds firm at number four in Williams' list and can climb it tremendously if he leads the Chiefs to a win against one of the front-runners in the NFC.

"Mahomes and the Kansas City offense look more explosive this season, especially over the last two weeks. Mahomes threw for 318 yards and had two total touchdowns in his team’s late-game loss on the road to the Jacksonville Jaguars", said Williams.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars' loss showcased what the Chiefs' offense could've looked like to start the season if it weren't for Xavier Worthy's injury a couple of snaps into the first game. The Chiefs love getting him the ball as much as they can, and his being on the field attracts so much attention from defenses, which makes things easier for players like Travis Kelce and Tyquan Thornton.

"However, Mahomes threw an interception that led to a 99-yard return for a score by linebacker Devin Lloyd. And after going 11-0 in one-score games last season, the Chiefs are 0-3 in those situations this year. Things don’t get any easier for Mahomes and the 2-3 Chiefs, who face the Detroit Lions in Week 6".

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Mahomes's likelihood of winning an MVP award this season rises exponentially if he's able to take down the Lions while all of America is watching. After the way the last game ended, he has to prove that he has what it takes to get past a team that's over .500 for the first time this season.

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This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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