Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs attack resumed the same path where they had stopped last season: less than 90 seconds after the start of the first game of the season, the most useful player of the NFL has launched a touchdown pass.
The Chiefs face the Jacksonville Jaguars and against third and third out of 32, Mahomes took a small fall and found Sammy Watkins over the center.
Watkins grabbed the ball, dropped his right shoulder and cut through the Jaguars defense, bumping into the end zone for a 68-yard touchdown.
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Mahomes scored 50 touchdowns last season, only the third quarter to reach that number, but the only team that did not get a TD pass last season was Jacksonville in the fifth week. Kansas City won this game, 30-14.
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Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
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LUBBOCK, TX – NOVEMBER 15: Patrick Mahomes, No. 5 of Texas Tech Red Raiders in the match against Oklahoma Sooners on November 15, 2014 at Jones AT & T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Oklahoma won the match 42-30. (Photo by John Weast / Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, No. 5 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, expresses his actions toward his players during the first half of their loss to Oklahoma Sooners on October 24, 2015 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Stadium. Norman Memorial, Oklahoma. (Photo by Jackson Laizure / Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WV – NOVEMBER 7: Patrick Mahomes, No. 5 of Texas Tech Red Raiders in action during the Westinner Mountaineers game on November 7, 2015 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
MANHATTAN, KS – OCTOBER 08: Texas Tech Red Raiders' No. 5 Patrick Mahomes II quarterback warms up before a game against the Kansas State Wildcats on October 8, 2016 at the Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken / Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 25: NFL football quarterback and prospect Patrick Mahomes visits SiriusXM Studios on April 25, 2017 in New York. (Photo by Matthew Eisman / Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 03: Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes answers media questions at the NFL scout association on March 3, 2017 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 11: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) before an NFL pre-season game for the first week between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs on August 11, 2017 at Arrowhead Stadium from Kansas City, Missouri. The 49ers won 27-17. (Photo by Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kansas City leaders quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is fighting for his first try at the end of the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday, August 31, 2017. (John Sleezer / Kansas Star City / TNS via Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – DECEMBER 10: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15), before an Oakland Raiders-Kansas City Chiefs clash on December 10, 2017 at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium , Missouri. (Photo by Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) takes the pitch for his first regular season start against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, December 31, 2017 at the Denver Sports Authority Field. The Chiefs won 27-24. (David Eulitt / Kansas City Star / TNS via Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MONTH – JANUARY 6: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) before the AFC Wild Card match between the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs on January 6, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 25: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) watches the game during an NFL pre-season game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears on August 25, 2018 at Soldier Field. Chicago. (Photo by Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 25: Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) launches the ball in the NFL pre-season game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears on August 25, 2018 at Soldier Field in Chicago , HE. (Photo by Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 16: Patrick Mahomes, No. 15 Kansas City Chiefs in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on September 16, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 23: Patrick Mahomes, No. 15 Kansas City Chiefs, looks up on the scoreboard in the third quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23, 2018. Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt / Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 23: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) heads the ball to football at a NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chiefs of San Francisco. Kansas City September 23, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. . (Photo by Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 1: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes scores a touchdown in the second quarter, the first of his NFL career, against the Denver Broncos at Mile High's Broncos Stadium on October 1 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 1: Fifteen-year-old Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs expects the quarterback gap against the Denver Broncos. The Denver Broncos hosted the Kansas City Chiefs at the Mile High Broncos Stadium in Denver, Colorado on Monday, October 1, 2018. (Photo by Eric Lutzens / The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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Mahomes and Watkins had just started – with 2:36 left in the first quarter, they found themselves for another touchdown, this time a 49-yard drive. Watkins was wide open along the right line and Mahomes found him, giving the leaders a 17-7 lead.
Watkins had only three touchdowns in 10 games with the Chiefs last year.
Mahomes racked up 211 yards in the first quarter, shooting 8 of 9; 211 yards is the maximum in the first quarter since 2004.
Mahomes survives fear of injury
With just under nine minutes left in the second quarter, the football world (or at least all the Chiefs fans) had a brief heart attack when Mahomes left the field with a left-foot problem. He was at the bottom of a pile of dogs that had been able to recover a fumble, a fight and an ejection, but all that mattered was Mahomes who limped and was led under the medical tent.
Chiefs fans may expire, at least for now. After a few moments in the tent, Mahomes emerged with his left foot stuck, and after testing on the sidelines, he came back in the game.
