Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made quite a grand entrance when it came to his NFL return against the Denver Broncos, but the star may have received some added help from Travis Kelce that was missed by the referees. Fresh off a nine-month rehab process for a torn ACL, Mahomes scored the first touchdown of the game by using his legs.
ESPN’s Troy Aikman pointed to the highlight showing Kelce may have been holding a Broncos defender in the end zone. The referees appeared to have missed the holding call which would have negated the touchdown.
“At the end of this play, it looked like Travis Kelce might have gotten away with a hold, but Patrick Mahomes, he does not protect himself as he thought he might,” Aikman explained during the broadcast.
“… Here’s a look at what looked to be a hold by Travis Kelce at the end of that play.”
ESPN rules analyst Russell Yurk agreed with Aikman that the Chiefs should have been called for a holding penalty.
“Yeah Troy, I agree with you,” Yurk noted. “You could see Travis puts his left arm out and restricts over the chest of the defender trying to make the tackle.
“And that prevents him from really being able to get there. …I think it’s tough for the officials to see, but it is a hold.”
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It may have been a missed holding call, but it is hard to blame the refs for Denver’s underwhelming performance against Kansas City. The Chiefs’ dominance over the Broncos felt inevitable with Kansas City clearly looking like the better team in Week 1.
Aside from injuries to key players, it was all good news in Kansas City. Mahomes looked like himself and had no problem utilizing his legs to make plays.
New addition Ken Walker looked like the best player on the field for much of the game. Despite the Chiefs’ performance, it has not stopped fans from calling out the refs for the missed call.
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It was not a guarantee that Mahomes would be able to suit up against the Broncos in Week 1. Kelce had a first-hand look at Mahomes’ journey to recovery.
“The guy flipped a switch from the moment he had that surgery,” tight end Travis Kelce told The Athletic’s Jesse Newell during a September 14, feature titled, “How Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes recovered so quickly from knee injury: ‘It’s incredible’.” “He had a goal in mind to be able to be here Week 1 with us. And he’s here.”
“… Nothing really amazes me with Patty Mahomes, man. He’s a special individual. When he puts his mind to something, and he’s determined to get it done, he usually gets it done.”
Now, the focus turns away from Mahomes’ previous injury and on to the Chiefs season. Kansas City faces the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 on Sunday Night Football.
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