Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdown passes in Denver, and Kansas City still couldn’t protect an 11-point lead. The Jets scored on their first six possessions against Las Vegas and still lost, too. Both offenses showed they could produce. Both teams also left a problem unresolved: turning a promising game into a finished result. That distinction matters when Kansas City is being asked to win by a substantial margin.
Mahomes supplied the response, but Kansas City needed more
Mahomes completed 30 of 41 passes for 321 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Chiefs’ 28–24 loss. He had gone without a touchdown pass in each of the previous two games. A 73-yard scoring connection with Emmett Johnson helped Kansas City build a 24–13 lead, the AP reported. After scoring only three points at Seattle, the Chiefs had found productive passing again.
They still conceded touchdowns on both of Denver’s fourth-quarter possessions. Kansas City then reached the goal line on its final drive but couldn’t score, with Mahomes sacked on fourth down to end the game. The passing rebound was encouraging; defensive lapses and a missed opportunity at the finish kept it from becoming a win.
The saved DraftKings spread favors Kansas City by 10. The Chiefs are 5–2, but they have covered three of seven games this season and lost their last two outright. New York is 2–6 with three straight losses, while its spread record is four covers, three losses and a push. The difference in records gives Kansas City an obvious appeal, but winning and creating enough separation at this price remain different tasks.
The Jets bring scoring evidence and personnel questions
Geno Smith threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns against Las Vegas, while Braelon Allen ran for 147 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. The Jets led by nine at halftime but lost 38–33. Their productive possessions couldn’t offset the Raiders’ comeback and a kickoff returned for a touchdown, according to the AP. New York’s offense gave it a chance that failures elsewhere helped undo.
That matters to the spread. The Jets don’t have to become a consistently winning team to make Kansas City work for separation. They do need enough offense to keep answering. The latest performance gives that possibility substance, though the receiving and backfield picture still needs watching.
Garrett Wilson remains in concussion protocol and wasn’t seen at Thursday’s practice, according to the report from the New York Daily News. Breece Hall was participating Thursday while dealing with a quadriceps issue. Those practice updates leave Sunday’s availability and workloads unresolved. With Hall and Allen in the Jets’ listed backfield, Allen’s latest rushing performance doesn’t by itself settle their next carry split. Wilson’s status also matters to Smith’s chances of sustaining the passing production.
Kansas City has relevant updates of its own. Rashee Rice was limited Wednesday with hamstring and knee concerns, and Travis Kelce was limited with an ankle issue. Neither participation report confirms a Sunday absence, but both belong alongside the Chiefs’ passing revival when assessing how much of it can carry forward.
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How much offense survives into Sunday?
The listed total is 47.5. All three games in the Jets’ current losing streak went over their totals, which ranged from 39.5 to 46.5. Kansas City has four unders and three overs this season, with the Denver game going over after consecutive unders. Mahomes finding the end zone again gives the scoring argument a concrete basis, while the earlier drought keeps one game from settling it.
Our passing-yardage projections put Kansas City near 264 and New York near 169. Those are team expectations, not touchdown forecasts. The gap makes New York’s contribution an important part of the total discussion, especially with Wilson’s availability unresolved. An offense that keeps answering could produce a scoring exchange; Kansas City getting stops could instead help it build a margin without needing that exchange.
Watch what happens after Kansas City puts points on the board. Against Las Vegas, the Jets had enough offense to stay involved but gave too much back. In Denver, the Chiefs produced a lead but couldn’t protect it. Sustaining good possessions on both sides of the ball is the next test for Kansas City—and the reason its improved passing line is only the start of the spread and total assessment.
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