A few months ago, when Patrick Mahomes found out his ‘best friend’ was returning to the Chiefs, he was happy to “have him back in the building.” But early on against the Las Vegas Raiders, there was a different feeling visible on the screen for Mahomes.
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We’ve seen fireworks between Mahomes and Eric Bieniemy before, but in a high-stakes AFC West clash that could determine the playoff race, the last thing you’d want to see is your offensive coordinator butting heads with your star quarterback. But Sunday Night Football had just that happen for the Chiefs Kingdom.
“Patrick Mahomes having a passionate rant towards Eric Bieniemy,” The Whole Delivery posted a sideline clip on X.
Cameras showed the frustration spill over after Kansas City managed just 10 points in the first half in Las Vegas. But what caused the moment?
Well, that takes us back to the end of the first half of the game against the Raiders. The Chiefs were down by three with 1:42 left before halftime. Mahomes then threw a 42-yard pass to Tyquan Thornton, which gave Kansas City a first down at the Raiders’ 5-yard line. It was the perfect chance to take the lead.
However, it didn’t work out. Kenneth Walker ran for 2 yards, then Mahomes got sacked and lost 7 yards. His next pass to tight end Noah Gray fell incomplete. So instead of a touchdown, Harrison Butker kicked a 28-yard field goal. The Raiders later answered by driving 48 yards for a field goal of their own, and they went into halftime leading 13-10.
The frustration likely came from the team’s red-zone offense, as some fans on X believed even Travis Kelce was telling Bieniemy to switch things up. More importantly, we’ve seen these disagreements between Mahomes and Bieniemy before.
Back in 2022, during a clash against the Indianapolis Colts, we saw something similar. The Chiefs ended the half on a 3rd-&-14, and Mahomes confronted Bieniemy at the time, with Andy Reid having to physically separate the two.
At the time, Tony Romo attempted to decipher the exchange, going on to say, “Mahomes is like, ‘I don’t want to run the ball and finish the half’ and [Bieniemy] is like ‘Well stop, we’re playing good, they’ve got a good D-line.”
And it looks like Andy Reid learned his lesson from the last time. Before the third quarter, Andy Reid dismissed it as frustration and competitiveness, not a deeper problem. Tracy Wolfson, CBS’s sideline reporter, relayed Andy Reid’s explanation just before the third quarter.
“Speaking with Andy Reid, in terms of the back and forth between Eric Bieniemy and Patrick Mahomes, he said that is just frustration and competitiveness. He said you have to score though when you get down there (red zone) and what it comes down to is they need to play better.”
And based on what we’ve seen between Mahomes and Bieniemy, it fits their dynamic. Just take what Mahomes said when Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs before the 2026 season.
“He has brought in a lot of concepts and a lot of things that I’ve really liked that we’ve added in now… I love it, man, I truly do. I think you can feel it in the meeting rooms. The way he carries himself, with the confidence that he carries himself with, it really focuses you in on what you’re learning and the little details of things. It’s been exciting to me, that first meeting had me wanting to run through a brick wall, it had me ready to go.
That is the same sentiment Mahomes has carried throughout their relationship. After the Chiefs’ second Super Bowl win in four years, in 2023, he spoke warmly about the coordinator he has had since 2018.
“E.B. means the world to me,” Mahomes said. “The way he holds me accountable, the way he makes me great every single day. This man is one of a kind, one of the greatest.”
As for the game itself, Mahomes finished 15 of 30 for 225 yards and two touchdowns, and he was sacked twice.
The Raiders, one of the early-season surprises, pushed their AFC West rivals hard, and first-year coach Klint Kubiak sounded confident at halftime.
“We’re winning,” Kubiak said on the CBS broadcast. “We’re going to win the game.”
Las Vegas still led 13-10 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Chiefs took a 17-13 lead with 14:50 to go. The 17-13 lead marked the first time this season the Raiders had allowed a fourth-quarter score.
Las Vegas didn’t let go easily, though. Cousins hit Bowers for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:46 left, and the Raiders got the ball back and reached midfield. Then Cousins was intercepted by Nwankpa to end the threat.
Mahomes knelt on the final play; however, time ran out, and Kansas City walked away with a 30-27 win.