KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One of the most significant moments in the Kansas City Chiefs' 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday was early in the game, when coach Andy Reid faced his first true decision.
The scenario was presented to Reid just before the start of the second quarter. With a 7-0 lead, the Chiefs faced a fourth-and-1 snap from their 40-yard line.
"We try to stay aggressive in that area -- and try to be relatively smart," Reid said late last month of the Chiefs' increased offensive aggression on fourth down this season. "[Quarterback Patrick Mahomes]'s got a good feel on that, too, when he's out there. We've got a lot of trust in him. Some of these things that we're doing, he's got options on -- and he's got to be spot on when we're doing them."
No moment this season better illustrated such for Reid and Mahomes on Sunday than the first play of the second quarter.
The Chiefs lined up with Mahomes behind center Creed Humphrey and with a trio of players -- tight end Noah Gray and running backs Kareem Hunt and rookie Brashard Smith -- in the backfield. Gray was the first player to move, doing a short motion to tray and draw the defense offsides. Smith then did a similar motion before Mahomes executed his hard cadence. Once the Raiders didn't move, Mahomes was ready for this next assignment: becoming an Oscar-worthy actor.
"F---, it never f---ing works, man!" Mahomes shouted, throwing his hands up like an upset toddler to distract the Raiders and make them believe they would not snap the ball.
But three seconds later, Mahomes' fakeout worked, as he took the snap, fooling the Raiders and even television analyst and former NFL quarterback Tony Romo. Hunt received Mahomes' handoff and ran behind Humphrey and backup right guard Mike Caliendo for a 3-yard gain.
After the game, Mahomes was asked a simple question: Why all the theatrics?
"I think it comes from all my State Farm commercials," Mahomes said, laughing. "I'm joking. [Offensive coordinator Matt] Nagy came up with the idea. We had talked about doing the hard count and trying to draw the [defense] offsides. I can't remember who I watched do it a couple of years ago and they had said that. I said, 'I'm going to use that as part of my acting,' just to get the defense to relax a little bit.
"But we've got to go get [the first down]. I thought the offensive line did a great job of driving off the ball and Kareem, in those situations, is money."
incredible acting job 😅 pic.twitter.com/FTISe3ZFUz
— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
The Chiefs' offense has been a near guarantee whenever Reid has allowed the unit to stay on the field for fourth down. With Mahomes on the field this season, the Chiefs have converted on 12 of 14 attempts on fourth down (85.7%), the highest success rate of teams who have had 10 or more attempts.
When they have converted on these do-or-die plays, the Chiefs often end their possession by scoring points (39 total). Those calculated gambles have resulted in an NFL-leading decisionEPA (12.9), the expected points added from a specific decision compared to the next-best alternative, according to TruMedia.
Such consistency on fourth down is one reason the Chiefs (4-3) are the outright Super Bowl favorites for the first time this season, according to ESPN BET.
"Throughout the week, the coaches have done a good job of being able to really talk through the plays that we like in this moment, whether it's a personnel we like versus what they do or whether it's a concept or scheme that we like versus what they do," Nagy said. "Getting to that moment and not wasting time, and feeling the conviction of the [play] call and executing it, the players feel that."
Even with Mahomes, who is one of the NFL's best passers, the Chiefs have called a designed run on eight of the 15 attempts. The reason? Hunt, a nine-year veteran, is a powerful ball carrier who excels in short yardage.
The lone time this season Hunt didn't convert was in the Chiefs' Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Reid's play that day required Humphrey to pull on a trap for Hunt. The Eagles' defensive line crushed the Chiefs' offensive line, and the play resulted in a 1-yard loss. The Eagles used the short field to take a three-point lead on kicker Jake Elliott's 51-yard field goal. The final score: 20-17.
"Kareem has got a real knack for that -- and he's got great vision," Reid said of Hunt's short-yardage success. "He's always been good at that part. Having him back there is a great thing. He brings confidence to that group, which I appreciate."
Reid had been traditional and conventional with his fourth-down decisions for much of his 27 years as head coach. But he has been willing to trust his offense more often than usual this season because of his kicker and Mahomes. Prior to Sunday's game, Harrison Butker, the league's highest-paid kicker, had missed three field goal attempts and three extra-point kicks. Mahomes, in his ninth season, has gained even more of Reid's trust over time.
Dial it up to Xavier Worthy on 4th down
— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2025
DETvsKC on NBC
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Mahomes has rewarded him, too. In the season opener, the Chiefs faced fourth-and-7 near midfield with less than four minutes left in the game. Mahomes evaded Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack long enough to complete a 49-yard pass to receiver Hollywood Brown.
The Chiefs were a perfect 4-of-4 on fourth-down plays in their win over the Baltimore Ravens, two of those featuring a perfect pass from Mahomes, including a 15-yard touchdown to Brown.
Against the Detroit Lions, another team that is aggressive on fourth down, Reid was presented in the first quarter with a fourth-and-3 snap inside the red zone.
Since 2018, when Mahomes became the starter, the Chiefs had faced a similar situation -- fourth-and-3 or more inside the opponent's 30-yard line -- 86 times before facing the Lions. Every time, Reid elected for a field goal. Against the Lions, however, Reid didn't hesitate to keep Mahomes and the offense on the field. Mahomes converted, completing a pass on the perimeter to receiver Xavier Worthy for a 6-yard touchdown.
"He's always going to make sure he's doing what he can to get better," tight end Travis Kelce said of Mahomes. "That's why I love playing with him. This team is going to keep getting better throughout the year because we all have that mentality. It's one of those things where you see Pat doing it, that sets the tempo.
"It never blows me away how good that guy can be and how prepared he always is."