Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes to have arm tested after playing through hit in 35-12 win over Jets

Patrick Mahomes did not miss an offensive snap in the Kansas City Chiefs' 35-12 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, even after a hit to his throwing arm that left him on the ground. His right elbow will be tested further on Monday, and those results matter more than the score as Kansas City gets ready for a trip to Atlanta.

The play came late in the second quarter. According to ESPN, Jets edge rusher David Bailey hit Mahomes' arm as he threw, and Will McDonald IV and Darrell Jackson Jr. also got to him on the play. Mahomes left the field with his arm hanging at his side. On the sideline he flexed the elbow and made a few practice throws, then went back in. Andy Reid said assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer worked on loosening the arm at halftime. Frymyer also handled much of Mahomes' offseason rehab after his December surgery for torn ACL and LCL ligaments in his left knee.

Mahomes said that knee injury was why the elbow scared him: he had walked off the field after that injury too, before one test ended his season. He told ESPN that once he could throw again, he knew the problem was muscular and not a ligament. "I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow," he said, adding that draining the swelling this week would be the priority.

The box score shows the effect of the hit. Mahomes went 23-for-31 for 242 yards and two touchdowns, and both scores came before he was hurt. Reid moved to short, quick throws in the second half so Kenneth Walker III and Xavier Worthy could gain yards after the catch. ESPN cited Next Gen Stats showing Mahomes averaged 2.8 air yards per attempt, the second-lowest figure of his career. His longest pass after halftime was a 38-yard gain by Travis Kelce on a ball thrown 15 yards downfield. Kelce also scored on a 1-yard fourth-down run to open the third quarter, after Mahomes pushed the ball back to him with both hands.

What it means for Atlanta

The win ended a two-game losing streak, a 20-3 loss at Seattle followed by a 28-24 loss at Denver, and moved Kansas City to 6-2. The Chiefs are 4-0 at home and 2-2 on the road. Both road wins came earlier in the season, at Miami and at Las Vegas. They have outscored opponents 202-143, and the defense has held three of its last four opponents to 20 points or fewer.

The Chiefs play next on Sunday, November 15, at the Atlanta Falcons on CBS. The market is pricing them as a healthy Mahomes team for now. Across 11 venues on this site's board, Kansas City is favored at -178 on Novig, and the best price anywhere is FanDuel at -174. Atlanta is +170 on Novig. On the spread, Novig lists the Chiefs at -3.5 (+113), while the best Kansas City spread number is Pinnacle's -3 at -117. The best Falcons price is BetRivers at +3.5 (-114). Novig's total is 44.5 at -108 on both sides, and Hard Rock Bet has the best under price, 46 at -115. Sportsbook hold runs from about 3% to 5% across these markets, so the venues are close on the moneyline. The spread is where they differ, with lines split between 3 and 3.5.

The most likely reason any of those numbers would move is Monday's test results on the elbow. If the swelling hasn't gone down by midweek, Reid's game plan could stay close to the short passing attack he used to finish off the Jets.