KC Chiefs exhibit Super Bowl upside and self-destructive issues vs Dolphins

The Chiefs Passing Game (Good and Bad)

One of the biggest frustrations of this season for both the Chiefs and their fans has been how out of sync their passing game has looked for a lot of the season. The Chiefs were highly efficient and confident passing the ball last season. The only difference in personnel this season at this point is the loss of JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was a reliable target last season, but not the kind of elite talent that should sink an offense with his departure.

While Juju was a key component and Travis Kelce was the star (and the best pass-catching tight end in NFL history), the defining characteristic of the offense that the Chiefs won the Super Bowl with was that Patrick Mahomes was comfortable spreading the ball around to the open man. That should still apply this season, but thus far Mahomes has looked far from comfortable much of the time.

That was the case again for much of the game against the Dolphins with one clear exception: the opening drive. On the opening drive, Patrick Mahomes was dialed in and hit five different receivers to march the Chiefs right down the field for a touchdown. The play designs were great and Mahomes didn't hesitate at all to hit multiple targets.

Maybe that was because they were the scripted opening plays, but if Mahomes is confident enough to throw to multiple players on scripted plays, he needs to not hesitate to do it all game long. The Chiefs have to find a way to pass the ball in rhythm. That may mean there's an occasional drop, incomplete pass, or even interception if the receivers make a mistake, but the upside of finding that rhythm is worth it and the alternative just hasn't been effective thus far.

I also think the Chiefs need to force the ball more to Rashee Rice and Kadarius Toney. They have way more upside than the team's other receivers and Andy Reid needs to make it a priority to design touches for them (and not just screens or end arounds). He needs to design passing concepts that give them space to work and then good things will happen. If Reid can feature Rice and Toney more and Mahomes can find the rhythm he had on the opening drive more consistently this offense can return to the juggernaut status that we've grown used to during the Mahomes era.

Let's talk another area where we saw some good and bad vs the Dolphins.