It’s too early to count out the Chiefs. One reason–a big one–is Patrick Mahomes.
Things are not going well for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and consequently, things are unexpectedly going downhill for his Kansas City Chiefs. The Andy Reid-led Chiefs were rightly considered the favorites for Super Bowl glory this year after their impressive 14-2 regular-season record last season, followed by a run to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That overall 16-3 record 2020 was due in no small part to Mahomes. But 2021 hasn’t panned out as anyone predicted.
The Chiefs are 3-4 and, in their latest loss to the Tennessee Titans, Mahomes was taken off the field in the fourth quarter with a concussion. It was the first regular-season game in which Mahomes failed to throw a touchdown pass.
KC’s struggles have had an impact on KC betting trends. A glance at sidelines.io shows us that KC has dropped from favorites down to (+1800) for Super Bowl success. Perhaps that’s an overreaction because there’s certainly time to turn things around, and Mahomes is doing his best to shore up team morale. Following their 27-3 mauling at the hands of the Titans, Mahomes was quoted as saying, “We have enough leaders on this team that we have to find a way. I don’t know what that’s going to take yet. We’ll watch the film, but I trust we’ll find it. That’s part of leadership.”
Mahomes is a big reason for KC fans to have faith (photo, 600 ESPN El Paso)
Reid certainly endorses Mahomes calling for patience. There is definitely time for Kansas City to get back on track, especially when five of their next six games are to be played in the friendly confines of Arrowhead.
And when you look at how the Chiefs have performed so far, it’s worth remembering that the loss to the Baltimore Ravens was by a single point, and they played the Los Angeles Chargers close in a 30-24 loss.
As for Mahomes, consider that only Tom Brady, Derek Carr, and Matthew Stafford have thrown for more passing yards this year. Plus, even though the season isn’t at the halfway point, Mahomes has already thrown 18 TD passes.
With Mahomes under center, nobody should count out the Chiefs … at least not yet.
