For Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, there’s no sugarcoating their situation

DENVER – In an interview several years ago for the book Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America, Patrick Mahomes explained how important winning the AFC West is to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“When we talk about the team we want to be, our goals for each season, it’s the first thing we start with – winning the division,” the three-time Super Bowl-winning passer said. “Coach [Andy] Reid emphasizes it, we work hard to do it, and we build on everything from there. Achieving it, making that happen, is a big part of who we are.”

It certainly has been – but nothing lasts forever.

Although the Chiefs’ nine-season stranglehold on the division hasn’t officially ended, their standing within the AFC West is uncharacteristically shaky after Sunday’s 22-19 loss to the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.

In a divisional showdown, the first-place Broncos (9-2) took down the longtime neighborhood bully, winning their eighth straight and dealing a major blow to the visitors’ hopes of finishing atop the division for the 10th consecutive season. Placekicker Will Lutz’s 35-yard field goal as time expired sparked a raucous celebration from the Broncos’ sideline to the stands – a scene that has become commonplace here this season.

Denver improved to 7-2 in one-score games – which isn’t at all surprising, quarterback Bo Nix said.

“We’ve just got a resilient team that believes we’re going to win,” said Nix, who passed for 295 yards. “At the end of the game, when it’s close, that belief goes a long way.”

Barring a complete collapse by the surging Broncos, the third-place Chiefs (5-5) – who also trail the second-place Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) – likely will fail in their bid to match or surpass the New England Patriots’ record of 11 straight AFC East titles from 2009-2019. The Chiefs, however, have more pressing concerns.

After losing consecutive games for the second time this season, Kansas City is on the outside looking in at a playoff berth. The Chiefs last failed to qualify for the postseason during the 2014 season – when Mahomes was a redshirt freshman at Texas Tech.

What’s more, the Chiefs’ magic in one-score games has vanished.

Beginning in the 2023 regular season and continuing into the 2024 regular season and postseason, the Chiefs rattled off an NFL-record 17 consecutive victories in one-score games. This season, all five of their losses have occurred in one-score games.

There’s no sugarcoating their situation, the Chiefs say: The road ahead for them will be difficult. But as history has proven, they’re not the quitting types, All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones said.

“Coming together as a team, relying on each other … this moment right here is very pivotal for us to make sure we come as a cohesive unit,” he said. “[It’s] so easy to point fingers, especially after a loss, especially when you have so many expectations from everybody else. But most importantly, it’s about what matters in the building amongst each other.

“For us, we are .500 and looking forward; seven more games left. We start with one game at a time, and we handle one game at a time. We’ll be able to handle that. The season still can go how we want it to go. We’re not in the most amazing spot or what we’re used to being in, but we still have an opportunity. Just give me an opportunity. That’s all we ask for.”

On Sunday against the Broncos, the Chiefs had many and capitalized on few.

The Chiefs lost despite the Broncos scoring only one touchdown (Lutz went 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts) and having 10 penalties for 147 yards. The Chiefs also played sloppily, being called for 10 penalties for 69 yards.

With the team coming off its bye – a time the Chiefs traditionally use to become sharper for the remainder of the season – that was particularly frustrating for Reid.

“There were a variety of things that went on that we all contributed to,” Reid said. “When you’re playing a good football team … gotta cut back on your penalties. Too many there.”

Still, with the score tied at 19-all in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs got the ball with 4:05 remaining on the game clock. Often throughout Mahomes’ stellar career – which will one day result in his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – he has found a way to get the Chiefs the points they’ve needed to win.

This season, he hasn’t delivered the way the Chiefs and their fans have come to expect. Here’s the Chiefs’ final possession: incompletion, incompletion, sack, punt.

Not exactly one of Mahomes’ signature late-game drives.

That wasn’t lost on him.

“Just having an opportunity at the end of the game and not coming through” was frustrating, Mahomes said. “Getting the ball back with four minutes, and all you need is a field goal, is a spot that we’ve been in. We’ve been able to do that. You get that opportunity at the end of the game … and I didn’t come through.”

Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl MVP. He’s a two-time Associated Press NFL MVP. He also owns an AP Offensive Player of the Year award. Since he has been the Chiefs’ starter, they’ve enjoyed unparalleled success.

However, for whatever reason, he didn’t rise to the occasion against the Broncos.

On Kansas City’s first possession, he overthrew wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton, who beat coverage on deep balls that could have resulted in walk-in touchdowns. The Chiefs punted. On the first possession after halftime, Mahomes was picked off at Denver’s 5-yard line.

“Obviously, it’s gonna be tough to get back in the division race,” Mahomes said. “But at the end of the day, the goal [now] is to get into the playoffs and try to make a run at [the Super Bowl]. All you can focus on is next week.”

In the game, Mahomes completed 29 of 45 passes for 276 yards. He connected with tight end Travis Kelce for a 21-yard touchdown pass, which enabled the future Hall of Famer to set a franchise record: his 84th career touchdown. During the Mahomes era, though, the Chiefs have been all about team achievements first.

These days, they’re not where they’re used to being – the fact that they’re looking up at others in the AFC West tells you all you need to know.

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