After signing the now-infamous $500 million contract ensuring that Patrick Mahomes would keep throwing touchdowns for the Kansas City Chiefs, they have found themselves in unprecedented times under his leadership. The Chiefs are currently in third place in the AFC West with a 4-4 record, a division they have won for the past five seasons.
ESPN’s Ryan Clark made his opinion clear, stating that “The Chiefs are not a good football team right now.” Going into the season, expectations were high as they have been since Mahomes took the Chiefs to the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49er’s and won.
Fans still consider a trip to the Super Bowl a successful season despite losing the game itself last season against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. However, the Chiefs find themselves in uncharted territory, as Mahomes and the rest of the team have not been themselves. Mahomes has already surpassed his interception total from last season after completing eight games with a total of 10 interceptions. Noticeably, there has been no loss of offensive talent during the prior offseason meaning that theoretically, there should not be a decline in results.
This has not been the case. The Chiefs’ offense has been dropping balls and failing their assignments. Fans and analysts alike have called for the Chiefs to go back to the fundamentals in order to slow the game back down to improve their focus. Mahomes is still above the pack in total passing yards, but the turnover numbers and drop back/sack ratio are the highest they’ve ever been.
The defense has given up 6.6 yards per play, leaving them last place in the entire NFL. Objectively, this is the worst defense Mahomes has had since he took over in 2018. However, it’s likely that the defense will make adjustments and begin to look like a competitive unit by the end of the season.
Mahomes has had a lot going on. Not only did he amass a large amount of wealth recently, but has also become a father, husband, business owner and the face of countless merchandise and brand deals. It would be a lot for anyone to handle, and I think fans trust that Mahomes will take the necessary deep breaths to get back to normal. It is imperative that he does so soon before the Chiefs lose their chance at the playoffs. The Chiefs are set to continue their season against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 7 at 3:25 p.m.
