KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Most of Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs teammates did what they normally do immediately after a game. They took off their uniforms, went to the shower or put on their regular clothes.

Mahomes instead sat in the middle of the Chiefs locker room for his belongings. Still in his dirty white pants, Mahomes was finally able to do what he wanted to do midway through Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints: watch highlights of the Kansas City Royals’ biggest game of the season.

Mahomes smiled, laughed and pumped his fist as he watched highlights on his phone of the Royals’ 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, tying the series at one game apiece . Before leaving his seat in front of his locker, Mahomes, who guided the Chiefs to a comfortable 26-13 win over the Saints, wanted to send a message to Kansas City sports fans.

“ROYALSSS!!!” Mahomes wrote on his X account. “The K is about to jump this week!!!!”

Mahomes knows the Royals, who are in the postseason for the first time since 2015, will host the Yankees later this week for Games 3 and 4 of the series at Kauffman Stadium, the 51-year-old venue next to Arrowhead Stadium. the 52-year-old venue that hosted Monday night’s Chiefs game.

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On a rare night in Kansas City sports history, Mahomes said he did his best to focus on leading the Chiefs past the Saints, rather than wondering how the Royals fared against the Yankees.

“You felt like things were going well” for the Royals, Mahomes said of the Royals. “There was kind of a lull toward the end of the game and I was like, ‘They’re not showing the score (in Arrowhead); The Yankees came back.” But the Royals won. It’s extremely exciting. We knew the fans at Arrowhead will be loud, raucous and really into the game.

“But I haven’t seen Kauffman sell out (in the) playoffs yet, so it was cool to see those kinds of combinations.”

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The fans inside Arrowhead updated Mahomes and his teammates late in the first quarter on how the Royals were performing in the fourth inning. Many of the 73,000 fans who wore red in support of the Chiefs during a TV timeout started a “Let’s go Royals!” sing. The Royals defeated the Yankees with a solo home run by Salvador Pérez, RBI singles by right fielder Tommy Pham, center fielder Garrett Hampson and third baseman Maikel Garcia and strong pitching by Cole Ragans and four relievers.

Mahomes drives it to @XavierWorthy for a gain of 18 yards

📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/yjMHpoilcS

—NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024

Inside Arrowhead, the circumstances on Monday night may have reminded Mahomes of his father’s 11-year major league pitching career. Mahomes had to perform like a pitcher who didn’t have his best fastball as the Chiefs were missing three injured starters in receivers Rashee Rice (right knee) and Marquise Brown (left shoulder) and running back Isiah Pacheco (broken right leg).

Mahomes used every other throw in his arsenal to help the Chiefs offense. Completing a pass to eight teammates, his connection with tight end Travis Kelce and his slider were akin to weaponizing the speed of rookie receiver Xavier Worthy.

“It was cool to get those guys going,” Mahomes said. “It’s going to stay that way until we get some of these guys back. Everyone is going to have to step up and make plays.”

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Even plays that aren’t designed. Late in the second quarter, Kelce used his creativity to help Mahomes by improvising when no one, not even his teammates, expected him to do so. On a third-and-22 snap, Kelce caught a short pass in the middle of the field and then walked aside — causing the surprised crowd to erupt with a roar — to running back Samaje Perine, who closed the play with another 15-yard gain . The Chiefs then converted the fourth-and-1 play, setting up another short-field goal from kicker Harrison Butker.

“I’m shaking my head because I told him before the game I’m going to throw it to you so we can get within field goal range,” Mahomes said of Kelce. “It’s like talking to (my daughter) Sterling. That’s Travis. He is a special player. As long as he does it and it works, no one will say anything.”

Kelce with the pitch on 3 & 22 😂

📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/PW8dXNhIrx

—NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024

The pitch that outmuscled the Saints (2-3) the most was Mahomes’ curveball: He connected with seven-year veteran receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Without Rice, the Chiefs were expected to increase snaps of Smith-Schuster and seven-year veteran Justin Watson against the Saints.

The New England Patriots released the 27-year-old Smith-Schuster in early August. In 11 games last season for the Patriots, he had 29 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown. However, the Chiefs signed Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal a few weeks later because coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy know exactly how to use him in their offense as a possession receiver who can eat up zone coverage with Mahomes and run. routes along Kelce. The question was: Could Smith-Schuster be as reliable as he was with the Chiefs in 2022?

As the starter in place of Rice, Smith-Schuster was a revelation for the Chiefs, producing his best performance of the season with a game-high 130 receiving yards.

“Andy Reid called and told me, ‘We can put you in a small deal (within the offense),’” Smith-Schuster said. “Even that, when I came back here, I was fine with it. I was okay with just being a leader in the (receiver) room and trying to help our young guys get right.

“If the opportunity arises, I want to go one step further. I like adversity. I like being down. I like the doubts. I’ve always bet on myself. I came here (in 2022) with a one-year contract and it worked. Coming back here was a no-brainer and I like the pressure of my teammates relying on me.

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The only major mistake by Mahomes and Smith-Schuster came late in the third quarter. Smith-Schuster dropped a pass near the goal line that would have given the Chiefs a 16-point lead. Smith-Schuster ran a slant from the Saints’ 2-yard line, and Mahomes’ pass bounced off his hands and into those of former Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who returned the interception 37 yards.

The Saints scored their second touchdown after the Chiefs’ giveaway. But Mahomes and Smith-Schuster responded well to create the Chiefs’ biggest gain of the game by one play on their next drive. Smith-Schuster went wide open in the middle of the field for a 50-yard gain after a nifty dig route that led to safety Tyrann Mathieu slipping and falling to the turf.

50 yard completion for JuJu and he has 117 yards on 6 catches!

📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7djKfPURaE

—NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024

Reid helped the Chiefs shake up their red zone struggles by coming up with a creative play to end the drive. In a full-house backfield, Kelce took the shotgun snap and handed the ball to the speedy Worthy, who rocketed into the end zone for a three-yard touchdown.

“He has a good feel for the whole concept of the play and he knows how to get into the open spots,” Mahomes said of Smith-Schuster. “He understands my timing well, so I can hit him early in some windows that aren’t necessarily taught. They are just learned through repetition.”

A few weeks ago, Mahomes planned a short family vacation during the Chiefs’ bye week. With the Chiefs a perfect 5-0 entering their off week and the Royals two wins after moving to the ALCS, Mahomes acknowledged his plans may have to change.

The Royals will host the Yankees at Kauffman on Wednesday night for Game 3. Mahomes plans to wear a Royals jersey and attend the game.

“That’s the plan,” he said, smiling. “It’s the bye week, so (wife) Brittany’s vacation and me going to the Royals game are definitely going to mess things up.”

(Photo: Denny Medley / Imagn Images)