A struggling Chiefs offense and an overwhelmed offensive line plague Patrick Mahomes. Can MVP-level play return to save Kansas City's season?
Week 11 didn’t at all go as planned for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead of earning a critical win against the AFC West leader Denver Broncos, they lost 22-19, taking the Chiefs' record to 5-5.
Mahomes didn’t have a great performance under center for Kansas City. Against an elite Denver defense, Mahomes’ ability to take over a game was absent on Sunday when the team needed it most. The two-time MVP finished the game with 276 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 45 attempts.
Throughout the game, the Broncos’ defensive line was hindering Mahomes, sacking him three times and hitting him an additional eight times. The constant pressure as a result of sup-par offensive line performance was certainly a factor in Mahomes’ mediocre performance in Week 11.
For his outing, Mahomes was given a ‘D’ grade by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski in his latest QB Report Cards article.
“Mahomes is known for making the critical play, often in spectacular fashion, when the Chiefs need him to shine,” Sobleski wrote. “He's not doing so this season.”
Mahomes hasn’t been poor by any means this season, but he hasn’t been that undisputed No. 1 quarterback in the league that many have come to expect. In his last two games, he has thrown just one touchdown and two interceptions. His 64.5 completion percentage on the season is the lowest of any full season in his career.
After years of dominance in the AFC West and the conference as a whole, including seven straight AFC Championship appearances, the Chiefs look to have finally taken a significant step back. Four wins behind the Broncos in the division, Kansas City is suddenly fighting for a Wild Card spot in this year’s playoffs.
With the way that the Chiefs are playing this season, the return of MVP-level Mahomes is the only way to save the season. He had a three-game stretch in October that saw him throw at least three touchdowns each contest, proving that he can still reach that game-changing level. It’s just about whether Mahomes can get back to that level immediately, as each game is only becoming more important as we’re now firmly in the second half of the season.