KANSAS CITY, Mo. This will be hard for some of you to understand. Thats not said negatively. Just factually. Because some of you came to follow the Chiefs because of Patrick Mahomes. Which is fine. Kansas City is not accustomed to rooting for trendy teams. These are strange times we live in.
But heres a quick primer for those who started rooting for the Chiefs once they began playing a wizard at quarterback: Your new team is a habitual heartbreaker. The darkness in the stories you hear from your new brothers and sisters is real. They are not whining. They are speaking their truth.
And, you know, while were on the topic, heres something for those of you who fell in love with this team long ago youve never cheered for a team like this.
More specifically, youve never cheered for a quarterback like this.
You know that, of course. Thats been obvious since Week 17 of last year, if not earlier. But if last weeks loss shook your confidence, its worth pointing something out.
If this same Chiefs team flaws and strengths, studs and duds wore different uniforms and played in a different city, you would be jealous.
If this Chiefs team wore Colts uniforms, for instance, you would be terrified with all the scenarios of Mahomes driving a figurative knife through your metaphorical heart with a game-winning drive capped by a Tarkenton scramble with a sack-avoiding cartwheel and left-handed no-look pass threading four defenders.
This is, basically, what Kansas City has waited decades to see.
The Chiefs have the best quarterback in a league thats never been more dominated by quarterbacks. They have the best offense in a league, teaching fans who cant remember the 2000 Baltimore Ravens that, actually, Offense Wins Championships.
These Chiefs have lost three games, by a total of seven points, each literally or essentially coming down to the final play. They are 3-2 against teams currently holding an AFC playoff spot, with two of those wins on the road.
The losses came against the New England Patriots, who have lost three of five, and the Los Angeles Chargers, who lost to the Chiefs at home and have led the Chiefs for just 4 of 7,200 seconds this season.
The Chiefs have flaws. Oh brother, theyve got flaws. They have a defense fronted by Chris Jones, Dee Ford and Justin Houston with a solid group of cornerbacks, and theyre still somehow terrible.
They have averaged 39.7 points in their losses. The defense scored or set up three touchdowns and the offense gave up two touchdowns in those losses, but still. If you cant relax with 40 points, you cant ever relax.
This team has problems keeping its quarterback clean and has consistently amplified its problems tackling (worst among projected AFC playoff teams, according to Pro Football Focus) by being the NFLs most penalized team.
So even without a playoff collapse presented in regular season form last week, you wouldnt have to think too hard to come up with ugly scenarios.
