Offense
Mahomes is asked to be Superman every single week. He’s an all-time quarterback, but even Michael Jordan wasn’t expected to hit every game-winner or drop 85 points every night. The Chiefs lean on him too heavily, and it’s exposing weaknesses across the offense.
The running game doesn’t exist — and it’s hurting everything. Against the Texans, the Chiefs tried more play-action rollouts and found some success, but neither running back is explosive enough to punish weak linebacker play. The offense lacks a dynamic runner who forces defenses to respect the run, which in turn makes everything else easier to defend.
The offensive line hasn’t helped either. Injuries have made both run blocking and pass protection inconsistent. Quick dives and slow-developing power runs can’t win games without explosive potential. Every great NFL dynasty could run the ball when needed — and the Chiefs used to do it too. Situational 1-yard runs can help, but games are won with chunk plays and explosiveness.
Even Mahomes needs tune-ups. Yes, receivers dropped passes, but Mahomes has consistently missed deep shots this year, even against single-high coverage. Teams no longer fear the deep ball because they know Kansas City can’t run, and Mahomes hasn’t been perfect on long throws.
This offseason, he’ll need to refine his footwork, mechanics, and possibly his throwing technique. Not because he’s broken — the greatest rarely are — but because even elite players need wake-up calls. Brady did it every year. Tiger Woods reinvented his swing multiple times. Michael Jordan remained great because he mastered the fundamentals, like his mid-range jumper and free throws — shooting 82% (142-for-174) on his signature fadeaway in the final two seasons of his career.
The great ones are great at the basics.
In the end, the offense needs to find balance. Kansas City can’t ask Mahomes to be the entire system anymore. They need a real run game, a dependable offensive line, and receivers who complement each other instead of overlapping skill sets. When the structure returns, Mahomes won’t need to play the hero. He’ll just need to be himself. And that’s more than enough.
