Martin Rogers
FOX Sports activities Insider
“Awe-inspiring” has been the most efficient description for Patrick Mahomes every now and then. “Confounding” has been the watchword on alternative events, the perplexity coming from seeking to determine how the heck the reigning Tremendous Bowl MVP and his dynamic offense can perhaps be prohibited.
But when we’re on the lookout for a descriptor of “fun” to solid upon the Kansas Town Chiefs, there could also be not more suitable year to do it than now.
To explain, the Chiefs aren’t these days having a lot amusing, which is exactly what makes it amusing for the remainder people to look at.
Kansas Town is right now locked in an uncomfortable slight aim that serves to construct them extra compelling than ever. The begin to the season hasn’t been lovely in anyway, following an opening-game defeat to the Detroit Lions through escaping with an uncharacteristic 17-9 scuffle in opposition to terminating week’s AFC playoff foe, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I don’t like what we’re doing,” Chiefs professor Andy Reid advised journalists. “I’m not big on turnovers and I’m not big on penalties. We have too many of them right now. We can’t have the mistakes.”
It had reached the purpose the place there wasn’t a lot unutilized to be informed concerning the Chiefs. We all know what Mahomes is in a position to — the fast ft darting thru indescribable openings, the body-contorting, space-bending throws, the quitness nerve and time-defying talent to journey the ball and rescue his crew from perilous deficits.
However the demanding situations these days going through Kansas Town are new ones that upload some intrigue to the tale.
The guess that the protecting Tremendous Bowl champions would walk again to a repeat reign, sporting home-field benefit all through the playoffs, would possibly nonetheless secure true, however they have got some severe stuff to determine or else Mahomes could also be enjoying the primary AFC highway playoff contest of his occupation this week.
What began with the splendid exodus of Tyreek Hill to Miami ahead of terminating season has been highlighted through the expanding truth that paying Mahomes calls for concessions somewhere else.
This era, the Chiefs restructured the two-time Tremendous Bowl champion’s trade in to journey him generation the likes of Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow to now give him a league-high $210.6 million all through the upcoming 4 seasons.
Sure, it’s truthful for Mahomes to surprise what he’d if truth be told earn in a non-salary-cap league, however the cap’s life calls for ache somewhere else and it leaves Mahomes throwing to younger or recycled wideouts together with Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kadarius Toney, whose drops sabotaged the effort against Detroit.
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In addition to offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s move to the Washington Commanders, Mahomes also lost a key protector when Orlando Brown departed for Cincinnati and replacement Jawaan Taylor flubbed through the opener with four penalties.
Meanwhile, Mahomes’ larger-than-life primary target, Travis Kelce, nursed a bone bruise and missed the first game before returning to catch four balls, including a touchdown, against the Jaguars.
His resumption of normal service was welcome for Reid, and Kelce, smiling his way through questions about whether he’s dating pop star Taylor Swift, always seems to have the right mood to serve as an antidote to pressure.
Kelce had the media chuckling when he admitted he had asked Swift to come watch him “rock” the Arrowhead Stadium stage just as she did while he watched her perform previously.
It was a good line, but the Chiefs started their campaign more attentive to their defensive line, which was missing All-Pro Chris Jones for the first game before he ended a holdout and signed a one-year, $19.5 million deal, returning to notch 1.5 sacks against Jacksonville.
Jones’ absence showed just how thin the Chiefs defense is, and there is a general sense around the team that there will be a cohesion process to work through for a few weeks due to him being absent over the summer.
While none of these alarms are viewed as fatal flaws, there is a sense that for the first time in a long time, we are talking more about the ways where the Chiefs might be shaky than the myriad facets in which they are dominant.
Many fans hail the type of dominance the Chiefs usually flex and see Kansas City games as must-see TV.
Another segment — especially the Chiefs’ AFC foes — pine for the day when a great program deteriorates to a significant level. Right now that’s not yet the case; it is just at the stage of scouring for innovative ways to solve its problems.
Perhaps there is no reason to expect a blip this weekend, but it actually says quite a lot that the winless Chicago Bears — even those hapless Bears who’ve lost 12 consecutive games dating to last season and lead the league with 26 missed tackles — feel like they possess the teensiest shot of an upset.
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With Chicago quarterback Justin Fields telling reporters this week that he feels “robotic” due to coaching patterns and the Bears positioned as 12.5-point underdogs for Sunday’s game (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) logic suggests this is the kind of comfortable matchup to allow Kansas City’s to fix some of its problems.
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“Trust your talent. Trust your instincts,” Mahomes advised Fields while talking to reporters this week.
Of course, trust would be a prominent word on the tip of Mahomes’ tongue. He’s built a career around earning his team’s trust and trusting in Reid’s methods.
He knows many are wondering if the Chiefs can be trusted as favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
And that bit of doubt? Well, that’s what makes Kansas City appointment viewing, even more so than before.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the day-to-day e-newsletter.
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