The Kansas City Chiefs hung on for their 11th victory in Week 13, taking down the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday by a score of 19-17.
The game featured several miscues on both sides — including four combined missed field goals and the final botched snap fumble that cost the Raiders an opportunity to win it late — but one unforced error was at the forefront of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ mind the following day on November 30.
“I’m checking myself into therapy today! I dropped a pass 🥲,” Hopkins told fans jokingly on X.
The typically surehanded veteran playmaker is presumably talking about the third quarter drop on third and 11, in which quarterback Patrick Mahomes II narrowly escaped pressure, throwing the ball mid fall. This immediately led to a Chiefs punt, followed by a long Tre Tucker touchdown reception that swung the score in the Raiders’ favor, 17-16.
The next drive, Kansas City retook the lead on a 32-yard field goal. They managed to maintain that scoreline the rest of the way.
DeAndre Hopkins Shows Accountability Despite Leading Chiefs With 90 Receiving Yards vs. Raiders
All kidding aside, Hopkins’ post-Week 13 message is noteworthy because it sums up the Chiefs’ mentality in a nutshell. Despite leading all KC pass-catchers with 90 receiving yards versus Las Vegas, Hopkins is more concerned about his first dropped pass with his new franchise.
That public show of accountability speaks volumes inside a locker room. For example, it points out that there’s always room for improvement, even for someone with Hopkins’ NFL track record.
“That drop by DeAndre Hopkins was his first as a Chiefs receiver in 32 targets,” Chiefs Digest beat reporter Matt Derrick relayed on November 29. “He had one with the [Tennessee] Titans in 21 targets. Had 4 drops last year on 137 targets.”
On his career, Hopkins has only been charged with 36 dropped passes total, according to Pro Football Focus. The 32-year-old has also rarely dropped more than five passes in a single season, and he flaunts a career drop percentage of 3.5%.
Needless to say, drops like the one Hopkins had in Week 13 have been few and far between since he first entered the league in 2013.
Chiefs Kingdom Rallies Around DeAndre Hopkins, Appreciating Honesty
The Kansas City community appeared to really appreciate this post from Hopkins. For starters, it generated over 16,000 likes in a little under four hours. The responses also rallied around the veteran wideout after his show of accountability.
“DHop! Don’t be down. We absolutely love you over here,” one fan replied. “Just know, now that you’re a Chief, the deranged haters are out in full force. You’re fantastic, we can’t wait to continue watching you build chemistry with Patrick. 💪🏼”
Another commented: “Nah, you are EXCELLENT. We needed you.”
“Welcome to Chiefs kingdom. The BBQ makes them hands slippery,” a third user said. “All jokes aside tho, [expletive] happens! You’re still one of the greatest to ever do it! Fun watching you and Patrick find a groove!”
And a fourth wrote: “It just proved you are human with all the insane catches you make. We still love you and are so thankful to finally call you a Chief!”
Finally, one fan chose to encourage Hopkins, stating: “You got the next one.”
At the end of the day, Kansas City won the game and clinched another playoff berth. Having said that, they seem to know that there are things to clean up, and that’s the first step to winning another Super Bowl.
