KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It started on the offense's opening possession.
On the heels of the defense forcing a three-and-out, Kansas City had rolled into Jacksonville territory only for an illegal-formation penalty to short-circuit the drive and lead to a punt.
Thirteen penalties for 109 yards later, the Chiefs had rallied for a fourth-quarter lead. But they blew it — thanks, in part, to the penalty bug — during a 31-28 loss against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on Monday Night Football.
“It kind of just talks about our whole entire season,” Mahomes said. “I feel like we have the guys, and we've executed at certain points of the game and looked really good. Then, we kind of crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes and interceptions and fumbles, or whatever that is.”
The 13 penalties are tied for the most Kansas City has committed in a game started by Mahomes.
The Chiefs also were flagged 13 times in an epic 54-51 loss at the Los Angeles Rams in November 2018 — ironically, also on Monday Night Football.
Kansas City hasn’t been penalized more times since the 2017 season opener at New England, when Reid’s squad prevailed 42-27 despite 15 penalties for 139 yards.
The 109 penalty yards were the most since a December 2019 win at New England (10 penalties for 136 yards), a span of 93 games.
Jacksonville, which was only flagged four times for 25 yards, picked up four first downs by penalty. Kansas City had zero.
It didn’t matter that Kansas City outgained Jacksonville 476-319 or averaged 7.6 yards per play compared to 5.9 for the Jags.
“Whether I agree with them or don’t agree with them, it doesn’t matter,” coach Andy Reid said. “They called them. You have that many penalties, you give up field position. You can out-stat them to death, but it doesn’t matter. It’s the score that matters, and we’ve got to take care of business there.”
After Kareem Hunt scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:45 remaining, a Harrison Butker penalty blunted Kansas City’s momentum and gave Jacksonville hope when he sent the ensuing kickoff out of bounds.
As a result, the Jaguars’ game-winning drive started at the 40-yard line.
Trevor Lawrence overcame a sack on the second play of the drive with a 33-yard heave to Brian Thomas, just over Jaylen Watson’s fingers and before Chamarri Conner could arrive.
Not even a delay of game or falling down when a lineman stepped on his foot on the game-winning touchdown scramble was enough for the Chiefs to pull out the win.
“It’s one of those games where you wish you could have back, but you’ve got to move forward,” cornerback Trent McDuffie said. “... That game was really on the defense to go out there, make a stop and win the game.”
Instead, Conner ran through Thomas for a pass-interference penalty as he adjusted to an underthrown pass to set up Lawrence’s game-winning score.
In between, penalties helped ensure a third-quarter Chiefs drive fizzled after a special-teams penalty, one of four for Kansas City committed in the loss, cost precious field position.
The Chiefs still marched into the Jags’ half of the field before a holding penalty and false start knocked Patrick Mahomes and company off track.
Jacksonville also benefitted from an illegal-contact penalty by Watson on one of its touchdown drives.
“I think we had 13 penalties,” defensive lineman Chris Jones said. “It's hard to win a game when you beat yourself in the foot like that.”
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