DENVER — Patrick Mahomes spent a chilly Sunday afternoon strolling the sideline in a jacket and sweatpants, with a handwarmer pouch secured around his waist.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was just trying to keep warm on a rare game day off.
Next up is the real thing for the two-time NFL MVP and the Chiefs as they go for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat.
This game, a 38-0 loss to the playoff-bound Denver Broncos, has already been flushed from memory. It was a meaningless regular-season finale for a Kansas City squad that had already secured a first-round bye courtesy of being the AFC’s top seed.
“Today obviously was not great, but we know it’s ahead of us as a team,” said Carson Wentz, who started in place of Mahomes and completed 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards before being taken out. “Pat, everybody, all the starters, they know what’s ahead of us and where we’re trying to go and what we’re capable of doing. So our mindset is on that.”
First, though, an extra night in Denver. The Chiefs (15-2) were set to stay in town due to the snowy and icy conditions in Kansas City — a storm that also delayed their arrival into the Mile High City on Saturday.
Once back home? Some rest. Coach Andy Reid is still formulating an exact plan for a team that won’t play again until at least Jan. 18.
For three-time Super Bowl MVP Mahomes, star tight end Travis Kelce and several other starters who didn’t suit up against the Broncos, it could be more than three weeks between their Christmas victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers to clinch the top seed and the postseason.
“A positive for us is we got to play a lot of young guys,” Reid said. “That experience is invaluable, especially against a good football team. We need to do better.”
AP photo by David Zalubowski / Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid watches from the sideline during Sunday’s road game against the Denver Broncos, an AFC West Division matchup.Under Wentz and late replacement Chris Oladokun, the offense sputtered. Kansas City finished with just 98 yards and went 1-of-9 on third down. The Chiefs also had the same number of punts (five) as first downs.
It all added up to the Chiefs being shut out for the first time since Dec. 16, 2012, when they lost 15-0 to the host Raiders when their AFC West Division rivals were still in Oakland.
“Obviously, not good enough. We didn’t play great as a team. I didn’t play my best, either,” Wentz said. “Move on from this one pretty quick.”
Soon enough, Mahomes will be back behind center to take the snaps — and Reid will have ample time to prepare, too. He’s 22-4 — 9-3 with Kansas City — after a regular-season bye week. He’s also 7-1 after a first-round playoff bye in his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chiefs.
“It’s always a beautiful thing with competition escalating,” Kansas City safety Bryan Cook said. “The stakes are higher, and it just feels different.”
For Wentz, stepping in for Mahomes amounted to an audition. He’s hoping to follow in the footsteps of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold and parlay a year as a backup into a starting spot next season.
Wentz was certainly fired up early with his pregame speech: “Confidence and swagger — believe you’re the best man for the job today,” he told the team.
On this frigid afternoon, the best quarterback was Broncos rookie Bo Nix, who finished 26-of-29 for 321 yards and four touchdowns.
“He was efficient. Really ran the offense well,” Reid said of Nix. “He’s a good player.”
As for his take on Wentz?
“He did some good things,” Reid said, “and then he had some things he probably wants back — a couple of throws. He did all right.”