If you think the Chiefs’ math problem is just their 5-5 record, then you need to listen up because that’s not the case – there’s more!
With their fifth loss of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs face their biggest challenge in the Reid/Mahomes era. Sitting outside the playoff picture at 5-5 and with another AFC loss, they have no chance to win the division, and the math no longer favors the Chiefs.
We’ve been fortunate during the Patrick Mahomes era, but we’ve also experienced some poor football since the Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. That was when the crack in the dynasty widened, and since then, this franchise has avoided facing the elephant in the room.
What the Eagles revealed was a stale offensive strategy and predictable defensive flaws, which can be observed throughout the entire Chiefs Kingdom. This coaching staff appears to be entirely devoid of fresh ideas. It hasn’t changed, and honestly, there’s a good reason for that. It worked until it didn’t.
The problem with the Chiefs’ overall coaching philosophy lies in the number 67 – that’s the age of Head Coach Andy Reid. He’s an old dog, a first-ballot NFL Hall of Fame coach, but he’s stubborn as the day is long, and he’s not going to change his stripes – unless forced.
He earns nearly $20 million each season coaching the Chiefs, but it’s clear his offensive message and game plans aren’t resonating. He has the best offensive line of his time in Kansas City, a wealth of talent at wide receiver, and the best quarterback in the league, yet he has no running back.
Reid’s refusal to run the ball and force Mahomes to make every play will ultimately be the demise of the Dynasty. Unless they can rebound and win out the remaining seven games of the season, something I doubt they can do, Kansas City will have wasted the 2025 season.
At 65 years old, Steve Spagnuolo is an experienced coach, but like Reid, he has a stubborn streak that has caused his defense to lose their edge and competitiveness when the game is on the line.
Spags is the best DC the Chiefs have had in their long history. However, his focus is on scheme defense rather than unleashing the shackles on his players, which has been a key reason why the Chiefs are currently 5-5. His lack of aggression in crucial moments has been this team’s biggest downfall.
At some point, he needs to be aggressive and attack instead of sitting back and hoping his defenders can make a play downfield, not behind the line of scrimmage. That’s a flawed plan because his defense does not create turnovers in the secondary.
Patrick Mahomes is 30 years old, and his clock has started ticking. No, he’s not done, but you can see that the lack of consistency in running a balanced offense is taking a toll on the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
It has been obvious all season that his reliance on his 36-year-old tight end, Travis Kelce, has been evident. To his credit, the future Mr. Taylor Swift (I Say with Love) is excelling in what will likely be his final NFL season.
The Chiefs have won nine consecutive AFC West titles and appeared in five Super Bowls in seven years, winning three of them. These are impressive stats we should be celebrating, but instead, we’re scratching our heads, wondering why this team suddenly struggles in ONE SCORE games!
The reason is simple: they don’t bring the energy on game days. They’ve accepted that the regular season is a grind and not the path to becoming a dominant January football team.
They play with less energy despite having better talent, and the coaching staff refuses to adapt to the hot hand, try a different look, or make in-game adjustments enough to turn a loss into a win. Instead, they rely on Mahomes and Chris Jones to make the big plays.
It’s a flawed ideology, and it’s going to cost this team a postseason spot.
On Sunday, they face the Indianapolis Colts, who might be the surprise team of the 2025 NFL season. They also found their identity, something the Chiefs have yet to do this season.
If the Chiefs lose this game, they have no chance of making the postseason. The pressure next Sunday will be enormous, and until they find their Mojo, not a single team in the NFL will fear what they can do in January.
If they don’t, the numbers don’t add up for the Chiefs.
