It’s been a tough week for Chiefs fans. The loss to Jacksonville, followed by the challenge of facing the red-hot Detroit Lions just six days later, feels overwhelming. The risk of starting the season 2-4 is real, but are we overreacting about the Chiefs’ season so far?
With their upcoming game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night, the Kansas City Chiefs (hopefully) have moved past their embarrassing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.
It’s been difficult for the fans, but as we’ve seen since Patrick Mahomes became the starter in 2018, what many see as a tough period usually ends with a division title, AFC Championship, or a Super Bowl.
So, excluding the Chiefs, even if they lose to the Lions, it’s a big mistake. Sure, we’re upset because we’re used to the Chiefs winning, but they’re currently losing.
After five games, the Chiefs are 0-3 in close games this season. Suddenly, that has become their Kryptonite, and they haven’t been able to turn their luck around. It won’t be easy against the Lions, who have the NFL’s top offense.
Although Kansas City is improving its offensive output, as Head Coach Andy Reid said in Wednesday’s press conference, it needs to score more points. He’s not wrong, and if Kansas City had done just that, they’d be 5-0 heading into this big AFC-NFC showdown.
Instead, they sit at 2-3 and are widely seen as a team struggling to sustain the success they’ve built over the past seven seasons. Mahomes has three Super Bowl titles, has played in every AFC Championship game of his career, and holds three Lombardi trophies.
So, why have the Chiefs struggled since they played in Super Bowl LIX?
That probably has more to do with the energy level the Chiefs have faced from all five opponents they’ve faced this year. Outside of their performance against the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs have been pushed around. When mistakes pile up, they tend to panic and forget what makes them great.
The Chiefs aren’t going to win more than one game at a time, and for those who fast-forward through games as if they are in line at McDonald’s, you can only serve one car at a time.
Kansas City remains one of the top teams in the AFC and the NFL. Even if the Chiefs don’t win the AFC West and end up as the last wild card team, who would want to face them in a one-and-done game?
Mahomes has already proven he can win on the road in January, and by the time the playoffs arrive, I suspect, barring injuries, the offense is heading toward MVP numbers.
If the defense can get off the field a few more times, this team can rebound and prove its current naysayers wrong. They could make it back to the Super Bowl in four straight years.
Now, that might not be a popular take, and I admit I’ve taken some losses this season with a less-than-positive outlook, so maybe I’ll help start a change in attitude.
What the Chiefs have achieved in the last seven years has been truly remarkable. Their dominance, despite some setbacks, ranks them among the greatest NFL franchises of all time.
However, by 2-3, many don’t remember what this franchise looked like before Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes arrived. Look around the league, and you’ll see we’re lucky that ownership has built a consistent winner.
We are not the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, or Arizona Cardinals. Instead, we are the Kansas City Chiefs, and with Mahomes as the starting quarterback, those days will not come back.
So, as we watch the game Sunday night, appreciate your blessings and remember what life was like after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl IV victory. It was tough, and so is this, but this team isn’t at risk of slipping back into mediocrity anytime soon.
