Much like last season, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense has needed some help from the defense to win games. Unlike the 2023-24 campaign, however, quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ inconsistent play can’t largely be attributed to a lack of execution or talent around him.

Sunday night’s triumph over the Atlanta Falcons was a perfect example of that. Mahomes completed 26 of 39 passes, but the two-time MVP winner mustered just 217 yards through the air with a pair of touchdowns. His 87.2 passer rating was a far cry from what people have come to expect, and the eye test bears that out.

After Kansas City’s win in Atlanta, head coach Andy Reid said his team has “a lot of things to work on” going forward, a big part of which is on the offensive side of the ball, which comes down to quarterback play.

Sparked by a first-quarter turnover, Mahomes averaged just 0.12 EPA per play against the Falcons. That made his Week 2 mark (-0.19) impeccable, but it was also well behind his Week 1 mark (0.42). That middle-of-the-road performance isn’t good enough for the Chiefs to find sustained success.

With his early interception as evidence, Mahomes believes he needs to get back to basics. It will make him more effective in games, and bring the Chiefs’ offense with him.

“I think it’s just footwork,” Mahomes said. “I’ve got to get my fundamentals right. I think I rely too much on my arm on some of those throws. Even the first throw of the game, I just threw it a little bit — a little off balance — and didn’t hit Rashee (Rice) when he went down the seam there. I’ve got to get back to my fundamentals. That’s something I go through sometimes (but) usually not this early in the season like this. Luckily, I’m not playing my best football and we’re still winning. I’ve got to get better to make the offense better.”

Three weeks into his seventh run as the Chiefs’ full-time starter, Mahomes has thrown four interceptions. He set a personal best in that department last season with 14. Despite eclipsing the 4,000-yard passing mark and throwing for 27 touchdowns on the year, it was seen as a letdown for the consensus best quarterback in football. With wideout Xavier Worthy added to the fold this year, many expected Mahomes to reach or approach the statistical heights he reached in 2022. So far, that hasn’t been the case.

Mahomes will certainly rack up impressive numbers in wins, but a higher floor for him will have a better impact on Kansas City’s offense. Even with the 29-year-old struggling a bit, Rice has picked up where he left off as a rookie. After a 12-catch, 110-yard performance, he said he’s thrilled that his quarterback believes there’s room for improvement.

“I think that’s awesome, just because he’s the best quarterback I’ve ever played with,” Rice said. “When he feels like he didn’t have a great game, I feel the same way. We just have to get back to practice so we can get better together.”

Read more: Four key takeaways from the Chiefs’ 22-17 win over the Falcons