Chiefs lose due to timeout, laughable offense

The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Tennessee Titans and it’s because their quarterback can’t figure out how to win games.

Kansas City is 10-4, and it still has the feeling of a team living on borrowed time. I’ve written in this space many times that the Chiefs are a Super Bowl contender. I still believe that if they can navigate their way to the second seed.

Yet, there is a fundamental flaw in the formula. Alex Smith. Smith completed 15-of-28 for 163 yards and an interception. His pick was in the end zone, breaking the Chiefs’ collective backs. You can point to a million positives with Smith, but the cold, hard truth follows:

The Titans turned the ball over three times. Kansas City scored 17 points, with 14 coming in the first quarter. Smith and his offense couldn’t score a single point in the second half, and it cost them the game.

Yes, Reid called the timeout that allowed a missed field goal turn into a game-winning make. Without that, the Chiefs are 11-3 and nobody cares about Smith. But that’s not reality. The Chiefs mailed in a ridiculous loss, and it falls at the feet of their highest-paid player.

Who knows what the answer is. Nick Foles isn’t the guy. The draft class that comes in April looks devoid of talent at the quarterback position, and the free agency frenzy is full of guys nobody wants any more.

Kansas City has a championship-caliber defense. The special teams are elite. The coaching staff is first-rate. The offensive weapons are excellent. The offensive line is solid. All of that leaves one problem, and he’s holding back everything we all want to see.