The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t what they used to be. The two-time defending AFC Champions find themselves at the bottom of the AFC West standings and dealing with the distinct possibility that they need to turn things around soon or potentially miss the playoffs.
Patrick Mahomes is at the center of the storm. While he has traditionally been able to keep his interception numbers lower, the former NFL MVP now leads the league with nine interceptions and has thrown at least one in every game since Week One.
Mahomes was noted as telling his teammates earlier in the week that he has to play better and his ability to be open about the issues plaguing his game is a big part of the reason head coach Andy Reid feels good about his quarterback’s ability to right the ship.
“Well, it’s the way he’s wired. I believe in him. He doesn’t hide things,” Reid said on Thursday. “A lot of guys will make excuses for whatever the issue might be, and he’s upfront about it. He’s not afraid to talk to the players about it, the coaches about it. That’s part of it, and then he goes and works on it, which is the most important thing. It builds a confidence in you that way.
“If you’re willing to attack the issues, you can get it changed around in whatever direction you want. This is anybody — this is any of these athletes. They’re amazing people and very gifted. So, that’s how Pat operates — he’s not going to hide or shy away from anything. If there’s a problem, he’s going to attack it and work to fix it.
“So, as coaches, we’re here to teach, and that’s what we do. Any guidance that we can give them, any of the players, we try to do that. That becomes important. We’ve all got to raise our game up as coaches and as players.”
The good news for Mahomes and the Chiefs is that they’re playing the New York Giants on Monday. The 2-5 Giants offer the Chiefs a decent chance to rebound and they’re already 2-0 against teams from the NFC East as well.
