It’s time to start asking some serious questions about the K.C. Chiefs.
No one is saying it’s time to panic given how long this season will be at 17 regular season games. No one is suggesting major personnel moves or calling for anyone’s job, either. It is, however, reasonable to suggest that some questions should be asked (and answered) when it comes to why things aren’t working out the way they were expected for the Chiefs so far in 2021.
This is a team that is currently 1-2. They could easily be 3-0. Then again, they could just as easily be 0-3.
The Chiefs lost on Sunday to the visiting Los Angeles Chargers in heartbreaking fashion, the second consecutive stomach punch of a loss that set the Chiefs back in the basement of the AFC West. Yes, the basement. That’s where we are at.
The Chiefs committed four turnovers overall yet found themselves in the driver’s seat with minutes to go on a fourth-quarter drive. Only then did Patrick Mahomes throw an errant pass to Alohi Gilman for an interception. Just like that, the Chiefs melted down again when it counted and the Chargers left Arrowhead with a win.
Let’s look back at a thrilling-turned-miserable afternoon of football by breaking out some winners and losers from the day.
Winner & Loser: Patrick Mahomes
We doubt Mahomes himself would take exception to this one.
In Chiefs Kingdom, there’s zero question about the lone reason why this team is capable of winning any game against any opponent at any point, no matter the deficit. Even the Chargers were sitting back on their heels hoping that Mahomes wouldn’t be able to put together yet another run of heroic throws in order to put the Chiefs over the top. This was a game in which they had the lead on the road with just seconds left after having forced four turnovers.
That’s just how good he is.
Mahomes was electric on Sunday once again and threw for 260 yards and 3 scores and made another handful of jaw-dropping throws that reminded you just how good he is compared to even his highly-regarded peers. It’s not Mahomes fault that Tyreek lost the ball or that Clyde fumbled or that Marcus tipped the ball instead of catching it.
But here’s also the problem. Mahomes was off his game today. He looked antsy in the pocket at times early and stepped into pressure. Some throws were behind his receivers (Kemp and Kelce come to mind). Then there was the game-sealing (for the Chargers) interception that just looked like one of the worst decisions on the field Mahomes has ever made.
In short, Mahomes is always the winner here because he’s the backbone of a team expected to win every game. Yet here, he also needs to own the mistakes made on multiple levels if this team wants to grow and take the next step.
Loser: Frank Clark
Frank Clark didn’t even play on Sunday, but that’s not a good thing. At this point, the player with the single highest cap hit on the team (and the greatest non-QB cap hit in the NFL) has to be a productive force, even if it’s not nearly at the level at which he’s getting paid.
What the Chiefs have received this season from Clark so far is two games missed due to two different hamstring injuries. The Chiefs were already thin at defensive end, especially on dependable top talent, and Clark’s absence has exacerbated that need in major ways. The inability of Clark to suit up has placed major stress along the defensive line and forced everyone to take on a greater role and/or shift responsibilities beyond perhaps what they are capable of or comfortable with.
The Chiefs are likely going to try to find a way out of this deal in the offseason, regardless of how Clark looks game to game, but not being able to play at all is the worst outcome of all. Hopefully he feels better soon and is able to at least occupy a spot on the field with some solid production (if not more).
Winner and Loser: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Look, it would have been nice to see Clyde Edwards-Helaire come in and have a breakout game on Sunday in some epic early career statement. But even if that did or did not happen, the one thing that CEH could not do in this game was to do the same thing he did last week to seal the loss for the Chiefs against the Baltimore Ravens: fumble the ball.
That’s what makes today’s performance both a winner and a loser. There was no doubt that Edwards-Helaire put together some very nice runs on the day, and he finished with exactly 100 yards rushing on only 17 carries. It’s also not his fault that a poorly executed screen blew up in his face in the first half for negative yardage. (Kudos to Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill there.)
However, a turnover interrupts all momentum immediately. It’s a gift to the other team. It’s the single most important aspect of what helps a team win (or lose) a game.
For Edwards-Helaire going forward, the mental aspect of consecutive turnovers in such a young career is going to be hard to top. Some fans are already done with CEH before he’s really gotten going for the Chiefs so early in his second year. The Chiefs are going to need to make sure they have some sports psychologists on hand to help Edwards-Helaire silence the voices—both external and internal—to keep moving developing for the Chiefs.
Hopefully he can trust his productivity and use this as a springboard going forward.
Winner: Travis Kelce
At this point, Chiefs Kingdom is out of ways to speak of Travis Kelce’s greatness. We’ve oohed and aahed over the highlight reel catches he consistently makes. We’ve marveled at the records he continues to set with each passing season. We’ve lauded his ability to create mismatches against any team, any defensive scheme, any star defender assigned to him.
But in a game like this one, even a heartbreaking loss, we need a way to talk about Kelce even more, because no one on offense was trustworthy other than Kelce (for the most part). And it’s sad that it all came in a losing effort.
The Chargers were keyed in on slowing or stopping both Tyreek Hill and Kelce, yet somehow Kelce was able to break through with a 7-catch, 104-yard effort on the day. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, and yet on a day when so many others were either unable to make plays or were busy coughing up the football, Kelce was a reliable outlet for Patrick Mahomes and the offense time and again.
Without Kelce, this game would have been a total train wreck. There were few winners today, but Kelce’s weekly reminder of his greatness was at least something to smile about.
Loser: End zone defense
The Los Angeles Chargers converted four of five trips into the red zone into touchdowns. It turns out they are the worst team, percentage-wise, to face the Chiefs defense so far in 2021.
Coming into the game today, the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens had never missed out on scoring a touchdown when given the opportunity to get close to their enemy’s end zone. Together, both teams were 8 for 8 in red zone scoring opps against the Chiefs defense.
In Week 3, the Chiefs’ single stop of the Chargers in the fourth quarter in the end zone is the lone stop by the defense against any team who happens to make it into the red zone so far this season. It’s an abysmal streak where it matters most and it’s something that Steve Spagnuolo absolutely has to look at.
We’re not exactly sure if a return from injury by Frank Clark can make the difference here or maybe it’s the anticipated debut of linebacker Willie Gay—potentially in Week 4—but something has to give here. The Chiefs simply cannot expect to win many games if their opponents have their way with them close to the goal line.