Watch: Patrick Mahomes makes behind-the-back pass after Travis Kelce messes up route

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' spectacular behind-the-back pass to tight end Travis Kelce is an early candidate for the play of the week but says the highlight was actually caused by a blunder.

Mahomes showed off some Mahomes Magic when he connected with Travis Kelce on a behind-the-back pass to pick up a first down in the first quarter of the Chiefs' preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday. However, Mahomes later revealed during an in-game interview that the highlight-reel play was "100%" improvised.

"Long story short, Travis (Kelce) didn’t run the route he was supposed to run," Mahomes said. "It was a behind-the-back pass because I was mad. I was pissed off at Travis. He was supposed to run a flag route ... and then he doesn’t run it. So out of spite, I threw a behind-the-back pass, but now it’s going to be a highlight."

At the Lions' 33-yard line on third and 3, Mahomes faked a handoff to fullback Carson Steele, ran a couple steps to his right before throwing the unconventional pass to Kelce to move the chains. Mahomes had the ball in his right hand and then flipped it behind his back to Kelce, who picked up 8 yards on the play for a first down. The drive ended with a field goal to extend the Chiefs' lead over the Lions to 6-0.

Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion, said the play "just happened" after the mixup.

All things Chiefs: Latest Kansas City Chiefs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

"That’s what I was trying to say to everybody. It can’t be planned," said Mahomes, who went 8-for-14 for 93-yards in the first two drives of the game before ending his day. "It’s got to happen naturally in the groove of things. It wasn’t like I planned that at all or a called play."

Kelce joined the broadcast during the fourth quarter and offered a different story. Kelce confirmed he didn't run the correct route, but stated that it was actually because of Mahomes, effectively throwing Mahomes under the bus after his quarterback did the same to him.

"(Mahomes) kind of mumbled out the play and I couldn’t hear. I was walking up to the line trying to decipher what he was saying. Before I knew it, he snapped the ball," said Kelce, who finished with the one reception for 8 yards. "I kind of saw him out of my peripheral run to the sideline so I was trying to go to help my guy out. By the time I look over there, he was already in mid-form, like a photo on a sports card, throwing the ball to me. I guess right place at the right time.”

Kelce ended his interview by saying, "Don't let Pat (Mahomes) trick you guys into me doing the wrong thing."

Fans — and even Chiefs head coach Andy Reid — have been calling for Mahomes to debut the behind-the-back pass in an actual game after he successfully completed a similar pass to running back Isiah Pacheco during training camp this week. Although Reid has given him the green light, Mahomes said he's been "hesitant."

"(Reid) is all for it. It's me the one that's hesitant to do it in a game," Mahomes said earlier this week. "There definitely is a possibility of it. If you do it, it has to work. ... Once you are having a good day, you have the freedom to try stuff like that. If stuff's not working out well, you don’t have that opportunity."

Looks like things went pretty well for Mahomes and the Chiefs, even if it was improvised.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.