As late as October, Kansas City looked like a legitimate Super Bowl favorite, and Patrick Mahomes was still in the MVP conversation. Everything began to unravel after Week 9, when the Chiefs were thoroughly outplayed by the Buffalo Bills, led by Josh Allen. Since that loss, Kansas City has gone 1–4, with its only win coming in an overtime escape against Indianapolis.
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That slide officially ended their reign atop the AFC West. After winning the division every year since 2016, the Chiefs now have no path to the divisional crown and sit with just an 11–12% chance of making the playoffs, a stunning fall for a franchise that hasn’t missed the postseason since 2013.
Zooming out, Mahomes’ season-long stats don’t scream disaster. Through 13 games, he has completed 63.1% of his passes for 3,398 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while adding 407 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. But football isn’t played in averages. It’s played in moments. Right now, the moments are going against him. The Chiefs are losing games they used to steal. The offense looks disjointed. And the aura that once terrified opponents has faded into something far more manageable. As Osi put it, “Sometimes the magic is just gone.”
“Look at this. Look at this,” the analyst said, rolling the tape from KC’s game against the Texans. “They usually help each other out, OC. They usually bail each other out. They do. Those are plays they used to get. If they don’t get that,” he continued, “they’re not the Kansas City of old. They’re just… mid.” Osi says he’s not afraid to point out what everyone else is scared to say.
“Patrick Mahomes is playing like a mid quarterback…The Emperor has no clothes!”
Mahomes’ stat line against the Houston Texans was jarring: 14-of-33 passing, 160 yards, and three interceptions in a 20–10 loss. This wasn’t an isolated bad night. It was the latest chapter in a stretch that has exposed just how normal the Kansas City Chiefs have become.
Kansas City now faces a true must-win scenario in Week 15 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. A loss would likely end their playoff hopes altogether. All dynasties end eventually. The only question left is whether this is a temporary stumble, or the unmistakable beginning of the end.
