I would have thought the Kansas City Chiefs would have learned their lessons after being crushed by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Instead, six months later, the Chiefs’ struggles are something fans were in denial could happen. But now, reality has hit hard because we refused to see the signs.
When your quarterback is Patrick Mahomes, anything is possible, including watching your team reach its fourth straight Super Bowl. If you saw the Chiefs’ 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, it was a reminder of how great and how tough this game can be within the four-quarter time limits the NFL sets each week.
After leading 14-3, the Chiefs’ defense was terrible. They were called for several pass interference penalties, allowed big runs, and couldn’t cover a quick slant pass. The fact that they couldn’t get pressure on the quarterback with four defenders and that Marty Schottenheimer’s son outcoached them just meant disaster from the start.
Still, the signs of the Chiefs’ failures this season trace back to the game plan devised by General Manager Brett Veach and Head Coach Andy Reid last March. With limited cap space and a reliance on loyalty within the coaching staff, it was inevitable that this team wouldn’t make enough changes to boost its performance.
That was evident when the Chiefs started the season against the Los Angeles Chargers. They were the same team that lost to the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Coaching is crucial in the NFL, and without innovative coaches, adjustments don’t occur. That’s the situation with Reid’s staff. He has the same coaches, the same yes-men, and no dissenting voices on his offensive team. As Reid says, he got 51% of the vote.
If the Chiefs want to make it to the playoffs again or get on track in 2026, he needs a new voice to lead the offense. He should step back and act as the general, letting his lieutenants run the offense.
On defense, Steve Spagnuolo should follow suit. His defensive line under Joe Cullen has been underwhelming. Still, Spags communicates his needs to Veach, but his suggestions are also outdated – especially on third down. As we saw on Thursday, if you can’t rush the quarterback or have speed at linebacker and in the secondary, you get exploited.
Spags wants system players who fit a scheme, but they aren’t necessarily playmakers, which has been clear through twelve games. Kansas City does not have the personnel on defense to win close games – not in 2025.
It’s a harsh reality, and honestly, even though I love Spags and recognize that Kansas City wouldn’t have three Super Bowl wins during his tenure with the Chiefs without him, it might be time to give the defense to defensive backs coach Dave Merritt.
Merritt has observed the decline of Trent McDuffie, who will be traded in the off-season for draft picks, and that he’s been unable to develop Kristen Fulton or Noel Williams; that isn’t necessarily all his fault. Without a dominating safety in the back end of the defense, it’s hard to rely on your corners to be effective when the men up front can’t get to the quarterback.
Officially, the Chiefs are now likely to be without Josh Simmons for the rest of the season. Simmons has a broken wrist, while Jawaan Taylor has been dealing with knee issues, and an elbow contusion could also sideline him for Sunday night’s game against the Houston Texans.
Now the focus shifts to backup Jaylen Moore again or rookie Esa Pole, and Wayna Morris, who did a poor job filling in for Simmons in the Cowboys game. All-Pro Guard Trey Smith won’t be returning for several weeks, so Mike Caliendo remains the starter at guard.
That’s not a good look for Mahomes, who hasn’t demonstrated the ability to turn around the Chiefs’ fortunes in the fourth quarter as he has in the past. It’s not that the league has caught up to KC’s quarterback; instead, he’s brought his game to them.
What’s missing is the fire within the offense. Kansas City punted twice on fourth down and three against Dallas. Mahomes should have told Reid no and kept the offense on the field. Sometimes it takes four downs to extend the drive, and with the season on the line, Mahomes didn’t push harder to take control of the game.
From now on, he needs to be the dissenting and persuasive voice.
As he mentioned after the game, the lack of aggressiveness is Reid’s responsibility, but the fans don’t care about the self-correction afterward. In fact, their patience has worn thin with each loss over that comment.
Again, to be clear, he shouldn’t have the 51% vote in that scenario—at least NOT for the rest of the season. Let’s honestly see what Matt Nagy can do running the offense.
What Reid fails to realize is that every drive is essential. Also, if his defense can’t stop anyone in their own territory or on third down, how will it stop them once they reach the red zone?
Still, if the Chiefs run the table, which I find unlikely, they will make the playoffs. However, given their terrible road record and coaching approach, can they really make a run to the Super Bowl by playing three straight road games?
The signs were clear: this team had primary needs at running back, a disruptive pass rusher, and a veteran safety, but they only focused on their offensive line. Getting Simmons was a brilliant move, but he won’t play another snap this season.
Who knows how the rest of the regular season will unfold for the Chiefs, but missing the playoffs would give them a reset and a reality check – that what they’ve collectively achieved in the past won’t carry them forward with the same success.
