KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With a depleted and disjointed wide receiving corps last month at San Francisco, Patrick Mahomes endured an exasperating day as a passer: a career-low quarterback rating of 44.4 with two interceptions that left him tied for the NFL lead, with eight.

While neither of those pickoffs was Mahomes’ fault — one came on a deflection, the other when Xavier Worthy fell — and Mahomes still exerted his will with his legs in a 28-18 victory, the Chiefs, even at 6-0, stood at an unsustainable crossroads in that vital aspect of their identity.

Down three key receivers (Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice and, as of that day, JuJu Smith-Schuster), their leading wideout against the 49ers was Worthy with … three catches for 19 yards.

Despite an offseason devoted to improving that element of the team, the Chiefs were stranded in much the same bind they had sought to fix.

Days later, they reset that dynamic. Their acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins from Tennessee for a conditional fifth-round draft pick that can become a fourth-rounder, has reinvigorated and expanded the offense.

While it still has kinks to work through, that’s self-evident by a number of measures when it comes to the 32-year-old Hopkins — a three-time All-Pro whose 957 career receptions are second only to Travis Kelce (967) among active NFL players.

The deal also reflects something less obvious but crucial and telling.

Like so much else with these Chiefs, whose latest “how-did-they-do-that?” moment (a walk-off blocked field goal against Denver) was a function of ultimate preparation and execution, it speaks not just to a certain fortune but organizational acuity and synergy.

First, it’s fresh testimony to the mind-meld and trust between coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach, a rapport that began nearly two decades ago when Veach was Reid’s personal assistant in Philadelphia.

Starting with that fundamental pillar of how the Chiefs have created a dynasty through like-minded navigation, Veach and the KC front office were able to deftly balance urgency with patience after Rice was injured in Week 4 at the L.A. Chargers.

Instead of going into panic mode and lunging, they probed and monitored but stayed restrained with salary-cap limitations (just over $4 million at the time) hovering over them.

Glaring as the need was even before the San Francisco game, they knew it still was better to be receiving calls than making them when it comes to deals — and that the market would shift closer to the trade deadline, as other teams confronted the realities of their seasons.

As it happens, Tennessee became a seller at 1-5, enabling the trade for a player the Chiefs have coveted at least twice before but couldn’t afford at those previous prices.

Tempting as it was to move faster, because of that shrewdness they reeled in Hopkins for a moderate $4 million; Tennessee is understood to be paying the other half of his $8 million 2024 salary.

Almost immediately, that necessity became not just a void filled but a pivotal asset as the Chiefs (9-0) seek an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat.

Because of Hopkins’ virtually instant chemistry with Mahomes — and the distinct fresh dimension he provides with his catch radius, spatial awareness, knack for seizing contested passes, capacity to track the ball, vast hands, intelligence, experience and leadership.

And then some.

The sense of connection between quarterback and newly acquired receiver seemed evident from Mahomes’ first attempt to Hopkins in Las Vegas: a 13-yard gain on third-and-7.

It’s only become more apparent since, with Hopkins’ total of 14 catches — including one against Tampa Bay that statistically was Mahomes’ most improbable completion since 2018 — for 171 yards and two touchdowns entering the showdown at Buffalo (8-2) on Sunday.

Put another way, since the worst statistical passing day of his career, Mahomes has completed 89-of-124 passes (71.7 %) for 819 yards and six touchdowns with one interception.

Quite a contrast from throwing six touchdown passes and eight interceptions through their first six games.

Now, Hopkins hardly is the only reason for this.

Albeit in part because of Hopkins’ presence giving him more room to roam, Kelce, for instance, has had a vintage Kelce three weeks, with 32 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns.

Moreover, it’s hard to say the Chiefs and Mahomes have solved everything offensively. They mustered only one touchdown against the Broncos and Mahomes misfired on would-be TD passes to Kelce and Worthy.

But imagine what these last few weeks would have looked like without Hopkins — who is six years beyond his best NFL season (1,572 yards) but managed more than 1,057 yards last season with a Tennessee team that finished 29th in the league in passing yards.

And imagine how much more he might produce down the stretch and into the postseason for a team that has won its last 15 games going back to last season.

Never mind that it seems like he’s played with Mahomes a long time already, as I suggested to him Wednesday.

“No, it seems like three weeks,” Hopkins said.

He said that in the no-nonsense tone that has underscored both his interviews and practice habits — which Veach noted began right away, when Hopkins eagerly jumped to the front of lines for his first workout here.

Put that all together, and there is ample room for growth.

And that’s something offensive coordinator Matt Nagy reckons is inevitable the longer that Hopkins is here. He’s learning more about the Chiefs’ schemes while they learn more about what to contour in the offense for him.

Meanwhile, Hopkins already has delivered in ways even the Chiefs couldn’t have expected.

While Mahomes long had admired Hopkins from afar, he’s been pleasantly surprised by “how explosive he still is” and “the wiggle that he has” to get up the field and get open.

Pointing out how Hopkins fared last week (four catches for 56 yards) largely against star Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain, Mahomes said he’s “really kind of showcasing that he can win one-on-one versus anybody.”

While that also opens up the field for others, that aptitude for making the tough contested catches also tells Mahomes “I need to give him more and more chances in those situations.”

Chances made possible just when they needed it most after the San Francisco game.

Much like about everything else with a find-a-way team and organization whose cohesion has helped make it the envy of the NFL.

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