“I Think You’re in Denial”: Former Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Gives Chiefs Fans a Brutal Reality Check After Black Friday Game Against Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs managed to sneak past the Las Vegas Raiders 19-17 in a nail-biting Black Friday matchup at Arrowhead Stadium. And, while they are at the top of the AFC now with an 11-1 record, the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs have failed to provide the wow factor everyone expected them to give. Ryan Fitzpatrick sees the signs of struggle all too clearly and has urged fans to not be in “denial.”

“Don’t love the vibes in KC right now,” the former Bills QB wrote on X, adding that the Philadelphia Eagles were in the same position last year.

The Eagles had started with a 10-1 record last season, and the victories were used as justification to sweep all their flaws under the rug. Then their record dropped to 11-6. And, by the time the playoffs came, the NFC East team failed to advance beyond the Wildcard Round.

Fitzpatrick believes that the Chiefs are going down the same route. He cited their last four outings, and their struggles against even weaker sides, as proof.

Patrick Mahomes continues to struggle with his connection to Xavier Worthy and did so during the Black Friday game as well.  The team is struggling in the red zone, especially when defenses successfully shut down quick slant routes near the goal line. And Mahomes knows it too.

“Didn’t execute in the red zone, didn’t execute enough in the red zone. But too many mistakes. We’ve got to clean that up if we want to get to where we want to go,” he said in the post-game conference.

Fitzpatrick also drew another historical parallel. He compared the 2024 Chiefs to Tom Brady’s 2019 New England Patriots. Despite dominating the regular season with a 12-4 record, the Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans in the Wildcard Round that year. That was also the last game Brady played as a Patriot.

The flaws are glaring, added Ryan, who felt that the Chiefs’ “defense is hanging by a thread. [And] the inability for explosives won’t allow them to make up for these deficiencies.”

In the last three games, the Chiefs have permitted the second-highest number of third-down conversions, averaging seven per game. This figure trails only their Black Friday opponent, Las Vegas, which has allowed an average of 7.3 conversions per game since early November.

Fitzpatrick argued that the Chiefs’ aura is gone. It’s only a matter of time before their weaknesses are exposed by a playoff opponent.

Yes, they are 11-1 and have clinched a playoff berth, but the victory against the Raiders was too close for comfort. As has been the case against many other inferior opponents they should’ve blown out. But Mahomes and the Chiefs’ ability to win in clutch moments has always been their strength.

It would be wise to remember that the Chiefs had a mediocre regular season last year too. But they managed to get it done in the playoffs and secured their second consecutive Super Bowl win. So, while it does seem the road there is going to be tough, it would be unwise to write off the team’s three-peat completely.