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A16 SPORTS
Tuesday 3 sepTember 2024
Patrick Mahomes wants better start for Chiefs, more Week 1 magic

when Ravens visit Thursday night

By DAVE SKRETTA a little different. There’s just
AP Sports Writer a little bit more passing that
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — goes on now. At the col-
The Kansas City Chiefs insist lege all levels really, you
that they are not thinking start at the little kid’s level
about last year’s opener and on up through high
against Detroit, when they school and college, and
celebrated their latest Su- the ball is being thrown
per Bowl triumph with a more. It’s a compliment to
flag-raising ceremony and Pat because he does it the
were promptly beaten by right way.
the Lions. “As great as he is,” Reid
Patrick Mahomes is chief said, “he’s a humble guy
among them. and respects the things
The three-time Super Bowl that happened before him.
MVP had by far the worst He gets it.”
Week 1 performance of Mahomes tends to rise to
his career that night, com- the occasion, the bigger
pleting barely more than the game the bigger his
50% of his passes for just 226 performance. It’s a big rea-
yards with his fewest touch- son why the two-time NFL
down passes (two) and first MVP has led the Chiefs to
interception in six season Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates on the sidelines during the first half six consecutive AFC cham-
openers. of an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Kansas pionship games, reached
Makes sense that Mahomes City, Mo. four Super Bowls and won
has tried to wash away his Associated Press three of them.
memory of the Lions with best of his best and it is an games, and playing the Ra- in NFL history though 96 That includes this past sea-
the Ravens awaiting him exceedingly high bar. He vens in particular. “When- starts, and every game he son, when the Chiefs had
Thursday night. had never lost a season ever you play teams like seems to climb another his- to beat the Ravens on the
“I don’t think last year’s too opener until running into this, you want to make sure torical chart. One big step road to win their latest con-
much on your mind,” Ma- Detroit, winning his first five you match their physicality. will likely come Thursday ference title.
homes said. “You’re so fo- as the starting quarterback We’re fast, and we’ve got night, when Mahomes with And while nobody mistakes
cused on trying to get bet- in Kansas City. He had guys that run around, but 28,424 yards passing needs Week 1 for the playoffs,
ter, and we’re playing the completed at least 75% of we pride ourselves on be- just 84 to pass Hall of Famer the spotlight nevertheless
best of the best Week 1. his passes in four of those ing physical as well, so it’s Len Dawson for the career shines a little more brightly
We’re going to see where games, averaged 308 going to be a great chal- franchise record. than typical games.
we’re at. We’re going to yards and thrown for 18 TD lenge, man.” “It’s a little bit different The Chiefs will once again
have to go out there and passes without a pick. Something else that Ma- game now with the passing raise a championship ban-
play our best football early He was just 21 of 39 for 226 homes tries not to think the way it is,” Chiefs coach ner Thursday night, and
in the season. All we can yards in the 21-20 loss to the about: his place in history. Andy Reid said, “but he has the eyes of the NFL will fall
do is go out there and be Lions. “You don’t want to He’s completed more so much respect for Len be- squarely on Arrowhead
our best.” get pushed around. I think passes for more yards and fore Len passed. They had Stadium for the game that
That is more the norm for that’s the biggest thing,” more touchdown passes a relationship there. They raises the curtain on the
Mahomes in Week 1 the Mahomes said of Week 1 than any quarterback talked. The game’s just it’s regular season.q

Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. is back with the Padres as they

push for a playoff spot

By BERNIE WILSON list on June 24, retroactive ry for essentially the whole
AP Sports Writer to June 22. season. It was first described
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Star He spent last week work- as a quadriceps injury, but
right fielder Fernando Tatis ing out at the team’s spring the team discovered the
Jr. was activated Monday training complex in Arizona. stress reaction after imag-
by the San Diego Padres Tatis received a warm wel- ing. Tatis won the NL Gold
after being sidelined for come in the clubhouse, in- Glove and Platinum Glove
more than two months with cluding an emphatic hug awards last year in his first
a stress reaction in his right with center fielder Jackson season in right field.
thighbone. Merrill, considered by some He was an All-Star at short-
Tatis was set to bat second to be the leading contend- stop in 2021 before missing
in the opener of a three- er for NL Rookie of the Year. the 2022 season due to in-
game series against the “I’m in a really good place jury and a PED suspension.
Detroit Tigers. The Padres right now,” Tatis said. “I feel Tatis was hitting .279 with
entered the day in a virtual like I can do anything out 14 home runs and 36 RBIs
tie with Arizona for the NL’s there on the baseball field.” when he went on the IL. San Diego Padres’s Fernando Tatis Jr. smiles in the dugout
top wild card. On the day he was placed Outfielder Bryce Johnson during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New
Tatis last played on June 21. on the IL, Tatis said he had was optioned to Triple-A El York Mets, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in San Diego.
He was put on the injured been dealing with the inju- Paso.q Associated Press