Mahomes: Chiefs' defense has 'nothing to do' with my turnover issues

Patrick Mahomes isn't blaming the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive struggles for his recent increase in turnovers.

"Not at all," the quarterback said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Teicher. "We try to score every single time we touch the football. That's how it's been my entire career here, and that was the precedent that was set before I even started here.

"That's kind of how I have my mindset going into every single game is that when we get an opportunity to go out there and have success and be successful, we have to capitalize on that. It has nothing to do with whatever is happening on the other side of the ball. It's just our job as an offense on this team."

The 2018 NFL MVP's comments come a day after Chiefs head coach Andy Reid suggested Mahomes has tried to do too much because the defense has surrendered too many points.

Mahomes has turned the ball over six times in the Chiefs' past three games, and his six interceptions on the season equal his 2020 total. Kansas City's offense has turned the ball over 11 times since Week 2.

The Chiefs' defense, meanwhile, has allowed a league-worst 32.6 points per game. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only team with a worse turnover margin than Kansas City's minus-7.

Mahomes leads the league with 16 passing touchdowns while commanding an offense averaging 30.8 points per game, but the 26-year-old said he'll "tinker with things" to reduce his turnover rate.

"You've got to go back to the basics and make sure I perfect those things, and then I think everything else will come along with it," he said.

The Chiefs face the Washington Football Team on Sunday.