Insider Gives Telling Report on Current State of KC Chiefs’ Offense
The Kansas City Chiefs are just hours away from kicking off their Week 7 game against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, which presents an opportunity for the home team to continue expanding its lead in the AFC West. It also leaves the door open for Andy Reid and Matt Nagy's offense to flex its muscles and get back on track.
Thus far in the 2023 campaign, Kansas City's offensive attack hasn't quite performed at the elite levels that have been previously established. As a result, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is posting some of the most pedestrian numbers he ever has. With tight end Travis Kelce battling multiple injuries this season and the Chiefs' wide receiver group not making the impact the organization expected, the team has leaned on its defense to buoy the team en route to a 5-1 record.
With the offense's struggles, there's been a combination of fans, analysts and media members alike that settled on a common theory: Mahomes doesn't fully trust his wideout group. Prior to Sunday afternoon's contest, an insider added even more fuel to that proverbial fire. Reporting for NFL Network, James Palmer stated that the aforementioned lack of trust is one element of the equation:
"Remember, on Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs made a trade to bring back former wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who is also expected to play in this game. That trade and him being on the field is a direct example of where things stand at the wide receiver position in Kansas City. It's my understanding [that] it's two things. One: a lot of new pieces and two: a lack of trust with Mahomes and this group, which could lead to two things to keep your eye on today. One: Mahomes is running the football at a higher clip than he has in his NFL career. Two: The downfield passing attack has struggled. He has the fourth-lowest passer rating on downfield passes in the NFL."
The expected return of Hardman could potentially smooth things over a bit, but this is still absolutely a group that is a work in progress. There aren't many new pieces Mahomes has to work with, although returning players such as Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kadarius Toney have failed to make the leaps many anticipated during the offseason. The result is a mere good-but-not-great offense, which is not what the Chiefs have built an identity of having in years past.
The growing pains have been challenging for Mahomes, too, as he isn't blameless and has been on the record several times this season saying he can execute better. With that said, Kansas City knows he's the straw that stirs the drink on offense and is capable of seeing this through. According to Palmer's sources, the franchise is borderline thrilled with how Mahomes has handled a bumpy start to the year:
"But multiple sources in the Chiefs building have told me this... they have been beyond impressed with the way Mahomes has handled this situation. He's been frustrated, but he also has been a tremendous coach on the field throughout the week and during game days. They know eventually, this is going to turn the corner."
Week 7 will bring yet another chance for the offense to show out, as the Chargers' defense is far from impressive. In fact, it holds ugly rankings of 25th in dropback success rate, 26th in points per drive, 27th in EPA per play, 31st in total yards and dead last in passing yards allowed. This is classic "get-right game" territory for Mahomes and company, especially considering that it's a home contest. Will the Chiefs capitalize on what's ahead of them? The football world will soon find out.
