Chiefs Beat Jets 35-12 as Mahomes Plays Through Elbow Injury

Patrick Mahomes plays through elbow pain in Chiefs win

Patrick Mahomes grimaced and reached for his elbow after taking a sack in the second quarter, but he stayed in the game to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 35-12 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

The win at Arrowhead Stadium snapped a two-game skid for Kansas City, though the final score masked a chaotic and physically taxing first half. According to the Kansas City Star, the Chiefs spent much of the afternoon looking uncomfortable before finding their footing in the second half.

The injury to Mahomes’ throwing arm occurred during a sack, and while he did not miss an offensive snap, the game was marked by several other physical setbacks. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy left the game late with a leg injury, and tackle Jaylon Moore exited with an ankle injury.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes talks injury, win over the Jets

Running backs become primary targets

With the wide receiver corps struggling to produce big plays, the Chiefs have pivoted their offensive strategy toward the backfield. Mahomes found Kenneth Walker twice for first-half touchdowns on plays designed specifically to utilize the running back in the passing game.

This shift represents a massive statistical evolution for the quarterback. A year ago, Mahomes ranked 50th in expected points added (EPA) when targeting running backs, a figure that trailed nearly two dozen backup quarterbacks. This season, he has climbed to No. 1 in that metric.

The effectiveness of this approach was evident in Walker’s performance. While the Seahawks did not utilize him in the passing game during the 2025 season, Walker secured two receiving touchdowns on Sunday. This follows a similar trend seen a week ago in Denver, where Emmett Johnson recorded a 70-yard receiving touchdown.

WATCH LIVE: Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, QB Patrick Mahomes talk after 35-12 win over Jets

Defensive pressure turns into sacks

The Chiefs’ defense finally converted sustained pressure into meaningful results. For much of the past month, Kansas City had been generating high pressure rates but lacked the ability to finish those plays with sacks, according to Next Gen Stats.

That trend broke on Sunday. George Karlaftis, who has frequently been the leader in pressures without sacks, recorded two sacks on Jets quarterback Geno Smith. Ashton Gillotte earned his first sack of the season, and Chris Jones recorded his first two full sacks of the year.

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The impact of these sacks was immediate and stifling for the Jets’ offense. The New York team failed to score on any of the five drives during which the Chiefs recorded a sack.

A disorganized opening half

Despite the eventual blowout, the first half was defined by errors and inefficiency. The Jets controlled the tempo early, holding the ball for more than eight minutes on their opening drive.

Kansas City’s offense struggled with ball security, committing four fumbles in the first half alone. These included a kick return by Cyrus Allen, a quarterback sneak by Justin Fields, and two fumbles by Mahomes following sacks.

Special teams also struggled before the break. Harrison Butker missed a field goal attempt, was awarded a second attempt following a flag, and subsequently missed the second attempt as well.

Patrick Mahomes STRONG performance against the New York Jets

The halftime break appeared to serve as a reset for the Kansas City offense. In the third quarter alone, the Chiefs out-gained the Jets 152 to minus-9 yards.

Short-yardage execution concerns

The Chiefs attempted a traditional quarterback sneak on third-and-short, but the play resulted in a fumble by backup quarterback Justin Fields. The error led to a Jets field goal and highlighted a recurring struggle for the offense.

While the team opted for an old-school sneak rather than the popular "Tush Push" variation, the failure shows the team struggles to gain short yardage. The Chiefs currently rank 21st in the NFL in short-yardage conversions.

The lack of success in these critical moments has led to calls for roster adjustments, with some noting that Kareem Hunt is available to help the running game.

The looming schedule difficulty

While the win provides relief, the most difficult stretch of the Mahomes era is approaching. The Chiefs face a gauntlet of high-ranking opponents starting on Thanksgiving.

The upcoming schedule includes the following matchups against teams ranked in the top nine of the FTN Fantasy DVOA metric:

Opponent	Context
Buffalo Bills	Has beaten the Chiefs in five straight regular seasons.
Los Angeles Rams	Top-9 DVOA opponent.
Cincinnati Bengals	Top-9 DVOA opponent.
New England Patriots	Top-9 DVOA opponent.
San Francisco 49ers	Top-9 DVOA opponent.

Heading into this week, the Chiefs held the seventh-hardest remaining schedule in the league. To prepare for this stretch, Kansas City must play upcoming games against the Jets, Falcons, and Cardinals.