As the Kansas City Chiefs get ready for a Monday Night Football matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, an understandable storyline has been the cheating allegations from a week ago.
For those who may have missed it, San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said that Jacksonville had a "really advanced sign-stealing type system." This predictably led to an on-field spat with Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, who understandably didn't take kindly to being accused of cheating. For Chiefs fans, it is at least worth raising an eyebrow, considering the situation heading into Week 5.
Predictably, this led to Patrick Mahomes being asked about the situation, with the star quarterback handling the question perfectly. As he should have, Mahomes downplayed the topic altogether, according to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.
Chiefs' Mahomes Has Perfect Response to Jags' Cheating Allegations
“We switch signals like every single week,” Mahomes said. “We switch signals every single week knowing that the game is on TV, and teams watch that. We try to make sure that we’re interchanging that stuff so they can’t get a beat on what we’re trying to do.”
Not only is this a completely fair take, but it is also the only approach you want your franchise quarterback to have. It doesn't matter whether there is any truth in what Saleh chose to say ahead of San Francisco's loss to the Jaguars. Mahomes playing into the story in any way only provides more fuel to the fire for Jacksonville, giving a team off to a hot start even more motivation going into what will be a measuring stick game for the early-season contender.
Adding to this is the fact that the Chiefs are correct in their approach to consistently changing signs. It is an obvious piece of the game that lazy coaching or poor leadership might overlook. If there is something to be stolen from the previous game, you're doing your job poorly. A sentiment that Kansas City fans won't need to offer often when it comes to Andy Reid. The legendary coach is known for his meticulous approach to preventing any possible advantages for the opposition.
A simplistic trait that much of the league understands not to take for granted. For the Chiefs, any accusations of cheating have little validity given the preparation and tweaks that go into each week's game plan. Mahomes played this situation perfectly and continues to provide Kansas City with every reason to believe this season is turning around.
This is noticeable in how he carries himself off the field as well as in his recent level of play, which has led to two solid wins over the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens. Mahomes remains the ultimate franchise leader, as his reluctance to play into the narrative and his poise should put the Chiefs in a position to continue this winning streak in Week 5.