The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, made a strange mistake early in the game at MetLife Stadium. While trying to avoid defenders, he spun around and accidentally threw the ball backward. The pass was ruled a fumble. He recovered the ball, but the blunder stuck with him on an already rough night.

“That was a great tackle,” Mahomes quipped to reporters, “I’m not going to try to do that again… We’ll throw the ball forward next time.” The 30-year-old, who finished the night with 224 yds on 22 of 37 passing and a single TD, endured another rough day.

The Chiefs came into East Rutherford with a 0-2 record, facing the possibility of their first 0-3 start in the Mahomes era. They got the win, but it wasn’t pretty. The offense struggled, averaging just 4.6 yards per play against a Giants defense that had given up 40 points to Dallas the week before.

Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce weren’t in sync, with Kelce having only two catches for four yards before halftime, and logging a mere four receptions for 26 yards post that…The entire offense felt disjointed, unable to find a shared rhythm.

But in the chaos, there was a hero who had even Mahomes regretting one of his plays.

Mahomes regretful play

It was the ex-Patriots prospect, Tyquan Thornton. He emerged in the second half, proving to be the trusted big-play outlet the team sorely needed. It was his 71 yds on five catches and a late TD that sealed the deal.

He nearly corralled a diving shot from Mahomes, and when the play was reversed, he didn’t miss a beat.

Thornton came right back and made a leaping grab at the goal line to set up a Kareem Hunt TD run. This newfound chemistry with the young wideout felt like a sign of life, and Mahomes was quick to acknowledge it.

“We thought they might play it man coverage,” he said, speaking about the pass that cemented the spark. “We got a good play that we got to. I wish I got it a little further and made it an easier catch on him.”

The Giants’ O-performance, on the other hand, was an exercise in pure frustration, a chaotic mess of deep shots and missed opportunities. Russell Wilson was back to his sputtering form, lobbing throws without the necessary velocity, resulting in 2 easy INTs.

The nadir arrived with a ghastly red-zone appearance that ended with an intentional grounding call and a sea of boos from the home crowd. They had no forward motion, only reckless desperation.

Anyway, a win is a win. The Chiefs are 1-2, not 0-3, and that alone is enough to breathe a collective sigh of relief. The embarrassing start has been, if not vanquished, at least held at bay.