On the ill-fated fourth down attempt late in the Kansas City Chiefs 21-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns, Patrick Mahomes was bent in half; ankle ligaments stretched to levels that would break most mortals; now, faces the reality he will need to play Carson Wentz the remainder of the regular season.
Andy Reid is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame Head Coach. He’s the best in the NFL, while others aren’t as sure. The doubters were in full force Sunday afternoon as Patrick Mahomes wobbled off the field in pain with a high ankle sprain suffered on an unnecessary fourth down call.
For all his gifts, Reid’s refusal to play smash-mouth football with a patchwork offensive line equates to Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell attempting an on-side kick with over ten minutes to go in the game. That’s how badly Reid messed up the final snap of Mahomes.
At that stage, the Browns had a backup to a backup playing quarterback, the Chiefs were up two scores, and KC’s defense was on fire. Instead, Reid continued to thread a square peg in a round hole regarding his passing game, and now Mahomes could miss the remainder of the regular season.
Carson Wentz was signed for this very reason. As history suggests, Mahomes generally misses a game or two. That happens because, eventually, his offensive line betrays him. Mahomes has been pummeled this season because the Chiefs can’t find nor dedicate their resources to building five maulers that protect the franchise.
It’s their Achilles heel, and it could cost them regarding the time Mahomes plays football. I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago. If the Chiefs are not careful, Mahomes could pull an Andrew Luck and shut down his promising career.
In fact, with rumblings that Travis Kelce might retire after this season, some soul-searching and pocket spending needs to rise from the top levels of the organization. Whatever happens over the next two months, retaining a wall of protection for Mahomes is the only thing that matters this offseason.
The worst part about Reid’s decision is that he’s put his quarterback in harm’s way all season. He now has two starting running backs, Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, yet he does not rely on them to move the chains. He’s so adamant about fixing the passing offense that it’s hurting his football team.
Wentz should get all the reps in practice this week and be the starting quarterback against the Houston Texans in Kansas City. It’s the final home game of the season, and it’s a short week with Saturday’s game.
It’s also a shorter aftermath, with the Chiefs facing the Steelers four days later on Christmas Day on the road.
Kansas City has wrapped up the AFC West and maintains a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills for the top spot in the AFC. The Bills have three patsies left to finish their season: two games against the hapless New England Patriots and one game with the New York Jets. They should dominate all three teams.
That means to keep the top seed; the Chiefs must win two of their three remaining games of the regular season. Remember, they finish the regular season at Denver to play the playoff-bound Broncos.
Regardless of your stance on Reid, playing Wentz and relying on the running game is the only option he should consider this week. If the offensive line were in better shape, perhaps I’d risk starting Mahomes. If DJ Humphries returns on Saturday, I’d feel more comfortable.
Joe Thuney and Mike Caliendo did a solid job in the first half protecting Mahomes, but they struggled in the second half. The Texans have a solid pass rush, which could cause Reid to play his backup quarterback.
We won’t hear anything on Mahomes until Reid speaks to the media this afternoon, but it’s safe to say he will get a lot of criticism from the fan base for his actions on Sunday with the game in hand.
This might be Reid’s most important decision of the 2024 NFL season. Further, Hollywood Brown is expected to return to the active roster, so he should not be tempted to play Mahomes before he’s ready.
Still, securing the bye week is all that matters for the Chiefs, and it’ll be up to Reid to make the right decisions to make that happen.
