Patrick Mahomes’ unforced 'ghost' fumble had NFL fans convinced the Bengals put a hex on him

We’re used to seeing Patrick Mahomes pull off the incredible in clutch moments in the postseason. The Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback has become the face of the league expressly because of what he does in January.

We’re definitely not used to what happened in the third quarter of the AFC title game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

As the Chiefs tried to pull away for good over their conference rival, Mahomes dropped back to pass on what seemed to be a routine pass play. Except when the superstar winded up to pass — with no pressure in his face whatsoever, mind you — he lost total control of the ball.

In the ensuing scrum, the Bengals gained possession of the fumble and made it seem like they put some kind of curse on the NFL’s best QB:

How in the what!?!?!? First fumble Patrick Mahomes has ever lost in a playoff game is thispic.twitter.com/MO8EB4acuW

— John Breech (@johnbreech) January 30, 2023

While playing on a high-ankle sprain, Mahomes was turning in quite an impressive performance by most standards. Not that anyone expected less from such a talented player. But to let go of the ball in such an unforced manner — in that important situation — is something Mahomes might come to regret should the Chiefs fall short of another Super Bowl.