{"id":253423,"date":"2025-11-05T15:08:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T20:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=253423"},"modified":"2025-11-05T15:08:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T20:08:02","slug":"mahomes-says-chiefs-are-stronger-than-last-season-despite-5-4-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/11\/05\/mahomes-says-chiefs-are-stronger-than-last-season-despite-5-4-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Mahomes Says Chiefs Are Stronger Than Last Season Despite 5\u20134 Start"},"content":{"rendered":"

Patrick Mahomes<\/a> isn\u2019t panicking. Despite the Kansas City Chiefs’ <\/a>uneven 5\u20134 start, the three-time MVP insists this year\u2019s team is more talented and more dangerous than last season\u2019s championship group.<\/p>\n

Kansas City Quarterback Confident Offense Has More Weapons, Calls for Consistency<\/h2>\n
\"Andy
Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Patrick Mahomes #15 talks with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Chiefs entered their bye week reeling from a tough 28-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills<\/a>, but Mahomes believes the defeat doesn\u2019t tell the full story.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had great moments, and we\u2019ve had bad moments,\u201d Mahomes said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be more consistent as a team. I\u2019ve got to be more consistent at quarterback, and we\u2019ve got to be able to battle.<\/p>\n

Staying Confident in a Tight Division Race<\/h3>\n

The Chiefs currently sit two games behind the Denver Broncos<\/a> in the AFC West standings, a position that might have raised alarm bells in previous seasons. But Mahomes says there\u2019s no reason to panic, reminding fans that Kansas City still has two head-to-head meetings with Denver to close the gap.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what we\u2019re capable of because we\u2019ve been here and done it,\u201d Mahomes said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to learn from it, but we\u2019ve got to do it now. There can\u2019t be any room for complacency. There\u2019s no easy game coming up, and there are no more chances for losses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kansas City\u2019s remaining schedule includes matchups with the Broncos (twice), Chargers<\/a>, Indianapolis Colts<\/a>, and \u00a0Cowboys, <\/a>all teams fighting for playoff positioning.<\/p>\n

For Mahomes, the bye week provides a crucial opportunity to reset and refocus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to get back and get ourselves right,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can only learn so much from losses. Those lessons eventually have to turn into wins. It\u2019s going to be an uphill battle when we get back, but I think our guys are up to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defensive Leaders Call for Urgency<\/h3>\n

While Mahomes focuses on offensive rhythm, several Chiefs defenders echoed the call for improvement. Linebackers \u00a0Drue Tranquill<\/a> and Leo Chenal<\/a>, along with cornerback Trent McDuffie<\/a>, all admitted the defense hasn\u2019t matched its early-season form.<\/p>\n

Tranquill said the defense \u201cdidn\u2019t play our best ball\u201d against Buffalo, citing a lack of physicality and energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought Buffalo had more energy than us and was more physical early on,\u201d Tranquill said. \u201cWe have to take the lessons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chenal pointed to issues with run fits that led to \u201cleaky yards\u201d in key moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obviously a letdown,\u201d he said. \u201cWe all know we didn\u2019t play well enough. We have to hit top gear.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDuffie emphasized the need for sharper communication and mental focus.<\/p>\n

As defenders, we have to be alert at all times,\u201d McDuffie said. \u201cWhether we\u2019re in man coverage or zone, we have to execute our roles. At this level, we can\u2019t allow ourselves to get tricked by misdirection.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Team Built for the Long Haul<\/h3>\n

For now, Mahomes remains confident the Chiefs\u2019 championship DNA will shine through once again. The veteran quarterback said the group\u2019s experience in overcoming adversity gives him faith that a midseason surge is coming.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a grind,\u201d Mahomes said. \u201cBut that\u2019s when we\u2019re at our best, when our backs are against the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the season entering its decisive stretch, Mahomes and the Chiefs will look to turn lessons into wins and prove that their dynasty isn\u2019t slowing down.<\/p>\n

The Broncos host the Chiefs for a Week 11 showdown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Chiefs currently sit two games behind the Denver Broncos in the AFC West standings a position that might have raised alarm bells.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5620,"featured_media":252279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[7466,1576],"class_list":["post-253423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chiefs","tag-kansas-city-chiefs-news","tag-patrick-mahomes"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5620"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253423"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":253634,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253423\/revisions\/253634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}