Chiefs fans concerns about Patrick Mahomes date back well before Week 1

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' achievements stand on their own. If he retired today, he would be considered one of the top five quarterbacks of all time, maybe as high as two.

However, over the past two seasons, he has not played up to the level he's shown in the past. One look at his quarterback rating over this season and last will prove the point. Last year, his QBR was 63.1, by far the lowest of his career. So far in 2024, it is 67.1, his second-lowest mark.

Last year, he set career highs in interceptions (14) and interception ratio (2.3). He will most likely exceed both of those numbers this season. In 2023, he set career lows in yards per attempt and yards per completion. He is on pace for worse numbers in those categories in 2024.

How much concern should there be over Patrick Mahomes' play?

Some of the issues surrounding Mahomes and the Chiefs offense are well documented. Over the past two seasons, there has been sort of a revolving door at wide receiver as the Chiefs have suffered from a multitude of injuries and poor performances. They also have an aging, though still productive, tight end in Travis Kelce, who is obviously nearing the end of his incredible career.

The Chiefs have slowly morphed into a team that relies more and more on the running game. They've had to deal with Isiah Pacheco's leg injury. Kareem Hunt has filled in valiantly but is not much of a threat to break a big play. The Chiefs also are using tight ends more and more in their offense.

General manager Brett Veach has done a great job in filling holes as they arise. In addition to Hunt, he's also added Juju Smith-Schuster and DeAndre Hopkins. With rookie tight end Jared Wiley out for the rest of the year, Veach scooped up Peyton Hendershot to fill out the tight end room.

The Chiefs thought they could go forward with youth at left tackle. So far, that hasn't worked out very well. Kansas City started the season with rookie Kingsley Suamatiaia as the starter, but after two games, they went to second-year pro Wanya Morris on the blindside. Morris has been adequate but might be more suited for a guard spot on the offensive line.

Mahomes hasn't looked comfortable in the pocket for a while now. Defenses try to take away his deep throws, and to keep him contained in the pocket, forcing him up in the pocket instead of allowing him to scramble to the left or right.

He's made several bad throws this season and has trouble connecting to receivers downfield. Expectations are so high for him, and fans expect miracles from him too often. Sure, it would be nice if he didn't overthrow his targets as much as he has recently, but he is throwing from a different place than he used to. Making accurate throws when stepping up into a collapsing pocket is difficult.

While Mahomes may not be putting up the phenomenal statistics he did earlier in his career, the NFL itself isn't the same as it was. Defenses are starting to rule the league. This is a cyclical happenstance that will eventually lean the other way once offensive coordinators figure out the best ways to beat these stingy defenses.

There isn't anything wrong with Mahomes. While his stats aren't as overwhelmingly impressive as his early seasons, he's won back-to-back Super Bowls, and he just had a 15-game winning streak broken. That streak included four postseason wins last year, culminating in his third Super Bowl win, and the first nine games of 2024.

There is still no quarterback you'd want more in the fourth quarter than Mahomes. Even though he's thrown 25 interceptions over his last 26 regular season games, he has only eight in 18 postseason games, including just one in his last seven playoff bouts.

Last year's run through the playoffs last year is an indication that, when the season is on the line, Mahomes and the Chiefs will rise to the occasion. It seems impossible for any team to go undefeated in today's NFL, so a loss at Buffalo to an excellent Bills team is not the end of the world.

Despite the interceptions, the wide receiver carousel, and the iffy line play, Mahomes is still completing 69.5 percent of his pass attempts, the highest mark of his career.

Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Mahomes has not posted the same stats as before, except in the most important category — wins. He is still winning ballgames, and that is all that matters.