AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Patrick Mahomes 'Definitely Frustrated' by His Play Despite Chiefs' Winning Streak

Joseph Zucker

The Kansas City Chiefs might be riding a five-game winning streak, but star quarterback Patrick Mahomes doesn't feel he's playing up to his own expectations.

The 2018 NFL MVP said Monday on 610 Sports Radio's The Drive he's "definitely frustrated in the way that I'm playing":

"I feel like I'm leaving just too much stuff out there on the field. I still feel like we're finding different ways to win, which is obviously good to have. Because when you're in December, and when you're in January, and hopefully February, you have to find every single way to win a football game. And I think we're doing that. So definitely, you're optimistic about how the whole entire team's playing, but as far as myself, I think I can play a lot better, which could help out the team even more."

When the Chiefs opened with three losses in their first five games, it looked like a porous defense was going to spoil their chances at a third straight Super Bowl appearance. They allowed an average of 437.4 yards per game during that stretch.

Now, Kansas City is winning thanks to an improved defense rather than an offense that's failing to hit its true ceiling.

Over his team's last five games, Mahomes has thrown for 1,291 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. His 258.2 yards per contest is significantly below his career average (302.3).

The 26-year-old appears to have picked a great time to have a down season relatively speaking.

At 8-4, the Chiefs are tied for the best record in the AFC and currently sit in the fourth seed. There isn't one standout team in the conference, so Mahomes performing at 80 percent of his usual level may not take them out of the title race.

If anything, Kansas City winning right now despite Mahomes playing somewhat poorly by his own admission might make the team an even stronger favorite. The franchise has the second-best Super Bowl moneyline (+650; bet $100 to win $650) at DraftKings Sportsbook, trailing only the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+550).

Assuming the defense can remain this stifling, the Chiefs will be downright dominant if Mahomes regresses to the mean a little more between now and the playoffs.

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