The Kansas City Chiefs fell to .500 on Sunday with a 22-19 loss to the Denver Broncos, ceding control of the AFC West. It has been painful to watch the KC offense for two straight games, and somehow, it seems quarterback Patrick Mahomes still isn't receiving his fair share of the blame. There seems to be a misconception among both Chiefs fans and sports media that any critique or criticism of Mahomes is out of bounds or takes away from the fact that he is already on the Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks.
Instead, it is his own greatness that holds the star to such a high standard and points out the fact that he simply isn't getting the job done. The Chiefs were 5-3 and still in solid playoff positioning prior to the quarterback having the worst two games of his season, going just 44-of-79 (55.7%) for 526 passing yards, one touchdown to two interceptions, and a 69.9 passer rating.
Even with a questionable run game and leaky pass protection, the standard of greatness that the quarterback had attained demands more. Mahomes needs to be better if the Chiefs want to make the playoffs this season, let alone go on another Super Bowl run.
Chiefs Can't Ignore Growing Patrick Mahomes Issue
Mahomes had a 79.5 passer rating against the Broncos, two weeks after managing a 57.2 in Buffalo. Two games in a row, we've seen the worst version of Mahomes, a player who has overthrown open receivers on the deep ball and made mistakes that put the ball in harm's way. The standard for Mahomes is expected to be putting up 28-30 points against a Bills defense that just allowed 32 points against a Tampa offense missing its best weapons at receiver and running back.
What makes Sunday's effort worse is that the Chiefs were supposed to be ready for the Broncos, as they came fresh out of their bye week. Instead, the offense floundered again under Mahomes' guidance. It is important to note that this isn't to say none of the blame belongs on head Andy Reid or the offensive game plan; however, Mahomes simply cannot get off without taking it on the chin, having turned the ball over twice in the two-game losing streak and failing to hit open receivers with consistency.
Mahomes' red-zone interception in the third quarter further highlights his woes. It was a turnover that flipped the script of the game, and the focus wasn't on a quarterback making a back-breaking mistake, but his effort to chase the ball down even though receiver Tyquan Thornton had already made the tackle.
The point remaining is that, as legendary as Mahomes is already, it's time to come to terms that he is human. If this were the version of Mahomes from a season ago, there is no question he finds a way to pull this game from the fire. Instead, he failed in the clutch, a rarity for a player who has won at a historic level, having dominated the AFC for nearly a decade.
Still, if this Chiefs team is going to salvage the 2025 season, Mahomes must stop living on past accomplishments and begin to play up to his deserved legend. There are still very winnable games ahead on the schedule that leave the Chiefs with a clear path to double-digit wins, and if Reid & Co. need to call out the franchise signal-caller to get back on track, so be it.
It is time for fans and pundits to put the deserved heat on the quarterback and help fuel Mahomes' Michael Jordan qualities that are sure to listen to the noise and remind the league that Kansas City's season isn't over just yet.