Week 4 of the NFL season delivered an instant classic for a Sunday Night Football matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. On paper, the experienced Chiefs team led by Andy Reid should have had no trouble dismantling the Falcons, led by first-year coach Raheem Morris.
Patrick Mahomes and Kirk Cousins both had their moments. But in the end, it came down to a questionable play call by Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson on 4th-and-inches, taking the ball out of his star quarterback’s hands and giving Bijan Robinson a chance to be a hero. The Falcons lost 22-17, but who were the biggest winners and losers from the Chiefs’ Week 3 win?
Winner: Rashee Rice
On a day when Travis Kelce was nowhere to be found, Rashee Rice came through in a big way. Rice led the game with 110 yards on 12 receptions, hauling in one of two Mahomes touchdown passes. Without Rice in the lineup, the Chiefs probably wouldn’t be undefeated right now.
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Loser: Bijan Robinson
Arguably, Atlanta’s best-skill position player did more to hurt the Falcons than help them win in Week 3. While Bijan Robinson did score a rushing touchdown, he finished with just 31 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Even Tyler Allgeier had more rushing yards, and he only had seven attempts.
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Loser: Zac Robinson’s playcalling
Kirk Cousins and the Falcons’ offense rallied in the game’s final frame, chipping away at an eight-point deficit while getting back into the red zone during the final minute. The Falcons might have moved to 2-1, but offensive coordinator Zac Robinson decided to call an outside run with Zac Robinson on 4th-and-inches, getting stuffed well behind the line of scrimmage to effectively end the game. It was a questionable decision on a day when Atlanta’s rushing offense averaged just 3.3 YPC compared to 7.9 YPA through the air.
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Loser: Travis Kelce
Travis Kelce hasn’t been the same so far this season. The four-time All-Pro tight end is now up to just eight catches for 69 yards. Usually those are average numbers for a single game, not three. Kelce added just four receptions and 30 yards to reach those totals on Sunday night, making everyone wonder what could possibly have Kelce so distracted?
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Winner: Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes didn’t post ridiculous numbers. In fact, for the three-time Super Bowl winner, they’re fairly pedestrian. He completed 26-of-39 passes for 217 yards, two touchdowns, and even threw an interception on a route Justin Simmons jumped in the red zone. Yet, on a night where Rashee Rice was his only pass-catcher making plays, Mahomes will gladly sneak into Week 4 with an undefeated record after this one.
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