Expectations were minimal coming into Week 16 for the Kansas City Chiefs. A lost season with a 6-8 record already took the wind out of any sails in terms of wins or losses. However, a meaningful effort from younger players on both sides of the ball—or even one side, for that matter—would have engendered some good will for fans and some positive momentum in the locker room.
Against the Tennessee Titans, however, the Chiefs had issues even living up to those low standards. On Sunday, the Chiefs found themselves further beset by injuries while dealing with the same head-scratching mistakes and player usage that got them in this miserable scenario in the first place.
Younger Chiefs fans have never experienced this level of frustration at such organizational ineptitude, but older ones felt the familiar pangs of defeat in Week 16. It's not as if winning is expected every single week, but Andy Reid's decisions and the talent deficiencies on display against a two-win team vying for the top pick in the draft is simply unacceptable.
Yet in the losing effort, however, it's important to single some things out that we just can't get over. If you were shaking your head over one or all of these listings, join the club. Somehow this Chiefs season reached a new low.
Loser: Andy Reid (and staff)
What are we doing with some of these choices? Dameon Pierce wasn't even active. Brashard Smith is sitting, watching Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco get reps in a lost cause. The same can be said for wideout Jalen Royals, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, and so on. Even when the Chiefs' uninspired play made it clear they were going to lose in Tennessee, the coaching staff still insisted on giving veterans their playing time. It's as if player development is overrated, and that Chiefs coaches feel like they don't need actual game film on their unproven assets.
Loser: Travis Kelce, through no fault of his own
Other than Kelce, it's hard to understand why the Chiefs wouldn't prioritize playing time for its younger players, as we just argued. However, the team's future Hall of Fame tight end has spoken about wanting to finish strong, and he's got a potential 1K-yard season in the crosshairs. But when Gardner Minshew was lost to injury, the offense became a sputtering unit that settled for field goals (at best). In the end, Kelce patched together a meager stat line of 1 catch on 4 targets for 6 yards in what is likely one of the final games of his NFL career. He deserves better.
Winner: Patrick Mahomes' importance
There's absolutely no way anyone in or out of Kansas City can minimize Patrick Mahomes' importance to the Chiefs' success at this point. Watching K.C. lose to the Titans as they did in Week 16 just shows how far Mahomes has carried the Chiefs to this point. Yes, they had to lean on Chris Oladokun for three quarters. Yes, several other players were injured. But the execution in Nashville was a clear display of just how much Mahomes is missed on the field.
Loser: Dameon Pierce, through no fault of his own
Of all the odd decisions regarding player usage, this needs to be singled out. The Chiefs' backfield is arguably the league's worst, and that's been the case all season. General manager Brett Veach even acknowledged it as a major need before the regular season began and proceeded to do nothing to improve it (besides balking at a Breece Hall trade).
The Chiefs landed Pierce as a free agent, released by the Houston Texans at a pivotal point when help was needed. Yet somehow they've kept him on the practice squad or inactive list every game since. Instead of seeing what he might offer for the long haul, the Chiefs kept giving reps to Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, leaving Pierce and Brashard Smith on the bench. You can't make it make sense.
Loser: Offensive line morale
Perhaps the rock bottom point of the game came when Kareem Hunt took a carry in the Chiefs' end zone and found himself mauled by the Titans' defensive line, who crashed through K.C.'s offensive front with ease for a safety. It was the game's first two points in what was, to that point, a punt-fest. Shortly thereafter, Chiefs linemen Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith could be seen yelling at their teammates to "wake the f--- up!" It was a spirited showing, the sort of attitude and spark expected weeks ago when the team was still alive in the playoff picture. Instead, a losing team is now coming apart at the seams by barking at each other on the sideline.