This isn’t the way we wanted to start the season, but here we are.
In Sunday’s matchup, nothing came easy for either team. The Kansas City Chiefs’ offense once again came out slow, struggling to move the ball. The difference was that the Philadelphia Eagles also struggled offensively. So it became a tightly-contested game in which a costly red-zone turnover made the difference, as the Chiefs lost their home opener 20-17.
Here are five things we learned.
1. The Chiefs can’t run the ball
We are two games into the season. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is not just the Chiefs’ leading rusher.
His 123 rushing yards are more than everyone else combined.
Considering that Mahomes never has a designed run called, that’s a problem.
We knew this coming into 2025, but everyone in the organization continued to just sip their coffee.
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It’s time to stop acting like Isiah Pacheco will develop into a reliable every-down NFL back. Being a great locker- room guy who runs hard doesn’t make you a good lead back.
Running hard and running with power are not the same thing — and Pacheco’s poor vision prevents him from reading blocks correctly. This wastes any big-play ability his speed gives him.
Kareem Hunt is on the other end of the spectrum. While he sees the game very well, his body will no longer let him do it.
But while these personnel deficits are an issue, it’s not Kansas City’s only problem in the running game. Head coach Andy Reid’s play-calling isn’t doing the team any favors, either.
The Chiefs’ failed fourth-down call in the second half’s first drive was doomed from the start. Kansas City came out in a big formation, doing little to hide that Hunt was going to run up the gut. This team simply isn’t good enough on the ground to impose its will.
2. The Chiefs’ margin for error has eroded
Kansas City had the talent to win Sunday’s game. It did not, however, have the talent to make so many mistakes and still win.
One of the secrets to the Chiefs’ recent success has been that opponents had to play them
perfectly. Kansas City was good enough to overcome mistakes that would be back-breaking to other teams.
But now, the script has flipped. In order to win, the
Chiefs must play mistake-free football.
They can’t afford to turn the ball over in the red zone, because there is no guarantee they’ll be able to put together another long drive. When down two scores in the fourth quarter, Mahomes can’t afford to miss wide receiver Tyquan Thornton when he’s wide open (I mean,
wide open) deep in the secondary. Even if they connect a few plays later for a touchdown, the minute they lost is almost as important as the points they scored.
3. The sky isn’t falling
Reinforcements are on the way.
The Chiefs lost to the defending Super Bowl champions by three points — without three of their four best receivers, including their top two receiving targets: Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Much like last season, injuries and off-field issues have prevented us from seeing what Kansas City can be this year.
If Rice and Worthy had played in this game, the Chiefs would have won hands down. But we don’t live in a world of what-ifs. You don’t get to write off games where your best players are unavailable. If the next man up can’t do the job, everyone shares the failure.
We can, however, say that when these two players return, so will some of Kansas City’s margin for error.
4. The defense is figuring it out — and will be OK
Aside from safety Chamarri Conner, who single-handedly torpedoed the Chiefs’ defense with poor angles and reaction time on Philadelphia’s first scoring drive, the rest of the unit played pretty well against a good Eagles offense.
While he didn’t have a flashy stat line, defensive tackle Chris Jones consistently made his presence felt in the trenches. Linebacker Drue Tranquill continues to play well at the second level. And even though the pass rush still struggled to get home, the secondary held up in coverage.
Issues remain. But the Kansas City defense is still good enough to be good enough.
5. This team doesn’t have the same luck we’ve seen before
It’s easy to say the Chiefs lost because Kelce’s drop led to an interception in the end zone. Or that the refs missed a couple of calls on tush pushes — or even that the tush push itself should be illegal.
But that’s the mentality of a losing team. Referees are going to miss calls. Even Hall of Fame tight ends are going to make mistakes.
Whoever you are, there will always be some days the ball doesn’t bounce your way. But that doesn’t matter. You still have to find a way to win the game.
Two games in, it feels like this team lacks the same magic (and luck) it’s had in previous seasons — and while it’s still early, it’s not
that early.
It’s gut-check time. The Chiefs have to look in the mirror and make a decision: how do they want this season to go?
Bad luck is out of their control. Bad football is not.
