The Kansas City Chiefs continue to make mistakes and were dismantled by a mighty Buffalo Bills team in Sunday’s 20-38 loss. Here are some takeaways and some thoughts on Sunday’s abysmal matchup.
Mahomes is no longer best in the league
Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was given multiple opportunities to score against a stout Bills defense. When the chances were there, he threw some shoddy passes to the grass and tossed some irregular interceptions.
This game has proven to me one of my original hot takes—Mahomes is not the best at his craft.
While he can make some gusty passes and flex his elastic yet bombastic arm, he just has so many technical things to polish and master. His line-of-scrimmage throws looked wonky on Sunday night, including the red zone turnover that ended an opportunity for a comeback. He looked lost at times and was trying too hard to make things work. His pocket presence needs to be worked on a ton.
With the likes of superstar quarterback Josh Allen and rival quarterback Justin Herbert proving themselves against some top NFL talents, it’s become apparent that Mahomes is no longer the golden standard at his position.
Defense…
Where do I even start with this atrocious unit?
For fans and football enjoyers alike, the Chiefs’ defense has looked abysmal ever since 2018. Buffalo proved just how low they have fallen on Sunday, dissecting the defense and bending them to the Bills’ will. Allen took advantage of this mediocre unit via both the air and ground. He had multiple 10-yard runs and deep touchdowns to Dawson Knox and Emmanuel Sanders.
There are some players who just need to step off the field. Primarily, safety Daniel Sorenson. His coverage skills continue to be a liability for the Chiefs, and that deep throw to Knox for a touchdown is a prime example. He gave up on the play and never stuck with the tight end.
While he can make plays from time to time, he shouldn’t receive as many snaps as other safeties such as Juan Thornhill.
Another player in the hot seat is Frank Clark. Remember when he called himself Clark the Shark during the Super Bowl run in 2020? Well, there’s no sight of sharks in this vast NFL ocean.
Throughout the game, the defensive backfield was relying on the line and Clark to make a play. Instead of stepping up, the supposed leader of the defense had a roughing the passer penalty called on him that changed the game. His unreliable production and recent injuries have hindered the team from finding any true talent. General manager Brett Veach needs to release him soon.
An unbalanced team can only go so far
The Chiefs’ recent struggles bring light to a new revelation. If nothing gets resolved it’s game over. Teams like the Bills, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Cincinnati Bengals look like playoff contenders who could easily beat the Chiefs. The best this team could hope for is a wildcard spot.
The concern of limited cap space will hinder Veach from making any big moves. Yet, some adjustments can and must be made now in order to right the ship. Benching Sorenson more often, remastering the offensive playbook to get players open, finding another running back and lighting a fire under this defense all need to happen.
Final notes
My hopes for the Chiefs making it to the playoffs are rapidly losing traction. The worst part is that the season is young and it will only get harder as the weeks pass. If, and it’s a huge if, this team ends up barely at .500, it will be time to hit the reset button on many positions.
Right now, however, it’s time for this team to step it up and recover from this spiral.
