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Why Chiefs’ offensive plan isn’t coming together as Patrick Mahomes envisioned

Henry McKenna

NFL Reporter

The Kansas City Chiefs’ opening drive in Week 3 was a snapshot of how hard Patrick Mahomes has had to grind to move the football this season.

The offense toiled for 17 plays and eight-and-a-half minutes, Kansas City’s second-longest drive of the season and the longest drive of the game. And once the Chiefs got into the red zone, Mahomes gave up the football. He threw an interception on a pass intended for tight end Noah Gray.

The throw was ill-timed. It smelled like impatience. It was everything we don’t expect from Mahomes and yet a bit of what we’ve seen of him this season. Through three games, he has five touchdowns and four interceptions. 

But Kansas City is 3-0, so no one is panicking.

Still, it’s fair to wonder if this offense is worse than the 2023 unit. During the offseason, the Chiefs let some defensive players go in order to improve the offense. But that improvement has yet to come to fruition.

The opening drive felt exemplary of how things haven’t gone to plan for the offense. The Chiefs had to manufacture touches for rookie Xavier Worthy. Tight end Travis Kelce managed only one catch for one yard. Running back Isiah Pacheco and receiver Hollywood Brown are injured. In turn, Rashee Rice has assumed the role as the top playmaker on offense after Mahomes. 

Are the Chiefs good or lucky after improving to 3-0?

It’s mainly those two who are getting the job done — but just barely. 

“We’re finding ways to win games and we’re not playing our best football,” Kelce said this week on his “New Heights” podcast.

Kelce, in particular, is not playing his best football. He has eight catches for 69 yards over three games. And while Mahomes, Kelce and coach Andy Reid have chalked up the veteran tight end’s lack of production to defenses hitting him with double teams, Kelce has faced them his entire career. 

Why is he suddenly letting double teams get in his way? Are the Chiefs merely…


Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/chiefs-offensive-plan-not-coming-together-patrick-mahomes

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Publish date : 2024-09-25 20:40:02

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