The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t exactly been their vintage selves this season.
They fell to a 9-6 record and have lost four of their last six games, and their latest setback came at the hands of the mediocre Las Vegas Raiders, who defeated them by a final of 20-14 on Monday.
They have had a number of troubling close losses all season long, especially to good teams, and they do not have a consistently potent threat at the wide receiver position.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe had some strident words for the Chiefs when, per “First Take,” he said they’re more likely to lose early in the playoffs than to go to the Super Bowl.
.@ShannonSharpe says the Chiefs are more likely to go one and done than a Super Bowl run 👀 pic.twitter.com/Z4CQH2oIUY
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 26, 2023
Kansas City won the Super Bowl in two of the last four seasons, and they did so thanks largely to a prolific offense and the prolific production of two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
But this season, Mahomes’ numbers are down, and his wide receivers have failed to come through, especially in crunch time.
They have dropped a large number of passes, and only one of their wideouts — rookie Rashee Rice — has at least 500 receiving yards.
Rice has a strong 811 yards and seven touchdowns on the season, but he isn’t quite the reliable target Tyreek Hill was in past seasons.
Oftentimes, the type of close losses Kansas City has had this season is a portend of an early playoff loss, perhaps to an underdog team.
The good news for Kansas City is that the AFC seems wide open, their defense has been outstanding, and Mahomes is still a magician, but they will have their work cut out for them once the postseason starts.
NEXT:
Fans Are Talking About Travis Kelce’s Sideline Meltdown During Chiefs’ Loss
