ClutchPoints
The Kansas City Chiefs have spent the better part of the last six seasons establishing themselves as the NFL’s standard of excellence. With three Lombardi trophies, five Super Bowl appearances, and Patrick Mahomes redefining quarterback play, the expectation in Kansas City has been simple: win. That’s what makes their current predicament so unsettling. After a sloppy, dispiriting 20-17 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs are 0-2 for the first time since 2014. They are languishing at the bottom of the AFC West. The team that has thrived under pressure suddenly looks lost in it. Who shoulders the blame for this mess?
TheChiefs fell to the Eagles in a forgettable Super Bowl rematch. The turning point came in the fourth quarter, when a pass slipped through Travis Kelce’s hands and into the arms of Eagles defensive back Andrew Mukuba, who returned it 40 yards. Philadelphia converted the miscue into points and held on to secure the win.
Unusually labeled underdogs at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs were given little margin for error against the reigning champions. Interestingly enough, oddsmakers were proven right. Yes, Kansas City’s defense delivered. They held the Eagles to just 214 total yards and under 100 through the air. That said, the offense once again sputtered. Sloppy execution, conservative play-calling, and critical mistakes undermined the effort. That left Patrick Mahomes with back-to-back losses to open a season for the first time in his career. The early struggles have revealed cracks in a foundation once thought unshakable.
Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the Kansas City Chiefs most to blame for discouraging Week 2 loss to Eagles, 0-2 start.
Of course, Kelce remains one of Kansas City’s most important weapons. However, his Week 2 performance will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. After hauling in a touchdown in Week 1 and posting a respectable four catches for 61 yards against Philadelphia, Kelce seemed poised for another steady outing. Instead, his night unraveled in the fourth quarter.
On a crucial red-zone drive, Kelce bobbled what should have been a routine catch. As we said, the pick effectively sealed Kansas City’s fate. It was the kind of mistake that turns a hard-fought comeback into a demoralizing defeat. For a player whose career has been defined by reliability in big moments, the miscue was glaring.
The Chiefs’ running game was supposed to be revitalized this offseason. The results so far, though, have been disheartening. With Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, and newcomer Brashard Smith in the mix, Kansas City hoped for balance and explosiveness. Instead, they got stagnation. Outside of Mahomes’ scrambles, the ground game averaged just 2.9 yards per carry against Philly. Pacheco managed only 22 yards on 10 attempts, while Hunt contributed 31 yards on 8 carries.
Even more concerning than the inefficiency was the lack of dynamism. Neither Pacheco nor Hunt created anything in space....
