Mahomes' career-low completion percentage and defensive struggles raise alarms after a crucial Bills loss. Can Kansas City rebound?
After a several-week stretch that had Kansas City Chiefs fans feeling confident about their team’s chances this year, all of that hope has suddenly been halted after the Chiefs' 28-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 9.
As the Bleacher Report NFL Staff wrote in a recent article, the Chiefs’ loss may require some panicking, bringing their record to a mediocre 5-4 halfway through the season.
“It would be silly to write off Kansas City at 5-4, and an Andy Reid-coached team probably isn't going to outright panic. However, this loss leaves the Chiefs with no room for error,” the NFL Staff wrote. “The 6-3 Chargers and 7-2 Broncos will remain ahead of Kansas City in the standings even through the Chiefs' Week 10 bye. Coming out of the bye, Reid's team will have to face the Broncos in Denver.”
With a bye coming up for Kansas City, there will be no shortage of areas to reflect on after a demoralizing win against a rival.
Certainly, one of those areas will be on offense. It was a fairly ugly game for the Chiefs' standards on the offensive side of the ball - look no further than the day that quarterback Patrick Mahomes had. Mahomes finished with 250 passing yards and an interception in the fourth quarter that sealed the Chiefs’ fate. It was the first time he hadn't scored a touchdown all season long.
The most telling stat of the former MVP’s day, however, was his completion percentage. He converted on just 15 of his 34 attempts, resulting in a 57.2 passer rating. It was the lowest competition percentage for Mahomes in his career.
On the other side of the ball, the Kansas City defense let Bills quarterback Josh Allen step all over them. He recorded the highest completion percentage of his career, connecting on 23 of his 26 attempts and finishing with 273 passing yards and one passing touchdown to go with his two rushing touchdowns. Bills running back James Cook had Kansas City at his mercy, rushing for 114 yards, bringing the team’s total rushing yards to 141.
The loss proved that, despite promising results in recent weeks, the Chiefs still have questions around their ability to be the top team in the AFC. The best way to answer those questions? Beat down on the division rival Denver Broncos, fresh off a bye in Week 11. A win against Denver could steer the Chiefs right back on track and bring them closer to that coveted first-place spot in the AFC West.