"We were playing not to lose" - Patrick Mahomes reveals why Chiefs blew 18-point lead against Bengals in AFC Championship Game

Expectations are always sky-high when you have Patrick Mahomes running the show. Last season, however, Chiefs fans learned that nothing is a given in a league as fickle as the NFL.

A 27-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game left a sour taste in Kansas City, but it appears Patrick Mahomes has already gotten to the root of the problem.

Patrick Mahomes reveals exactly what went wrong in the surprise loss to Bengals

In an interview with The Ringer's Kevin Clark, Mahomes delved into why the Chiefs fell to Joe Burrows' Cincinnati Bengals in the postseason last year.

"The second half of that game: I don’t want to say we relaxed, but I mean when you lead like you did, you want to make sure you win the game, but you don’t want to play like you’re playing not to lose. And I feel like that’s what we did. As a team, we were playing not to lose, we were playing just to get to the Super Bowl," Mahomes said.

Mahomes added that the Chiefs simply didn't execute their game plan to a high level.

"They were playing the same coverages and we weren’t executing," Mahomes said. Then momentum gets in the other team’s favor and when you’re playing a good football team, bad stuff happens.”

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In an uncharacteristically non-Mahomes-like showing, the Chiefs superstar threw for just 275 yards and had two interceptions in the AFC Championship Game last season. It was a game the Chiefs eventually dropped to the Bengals despite taking a 21-3 lead.

The Chiefs offense will have a different look this season, owing to the departure of Tyreek Hill.

Kansas City traded the electric wide receiver to the Miami Dolphins in what was arguably one of the biggest moves of the offseason. The Dolphins sent five draft picks the other way, handing Hill a four-year, $120 million extension, making him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history.

Instead of the speedy Hill, the Chiefs will have to call on the services of other wideouts. They signed Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling and former Steelers favorite JuJu Smith-Schuster along with drafting Skyy Moore.

Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs also have a revamped offensive line with the likes of Joe Thuney, Orlando Brown Jr, Creed Murphey and Trey Smith in the fray. The O-line was pointed out as the Chiefs' key weakness in the Super Bowl LV loss to Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As always, Patrick Mahomes will enter the season as one of the favorites to be crowned the league's MVP. Brace yourselves, folks.

(If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The Ringer and H/T Sportskeeda.)