National NFL media has a lot of theories on why Chiefs are struggling on offense

What is wrong with the Chiefs?

It’s a question being asked by NFL fans and the pundits in the wake of the Chiefs’ dreadful showing on Christmas Day in a 20-14 loss to the Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Many pundits think they know the answer. Here is what national NFL media members are saying about the Chiefs with two weeks left in the regular season.

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso wrote a story with the headline, “What’s wrong with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs? Examining the team’s issues after stunning loss to Raiders.”

This is a snippet from that story: “Starting in Week 8, the two-time Super-Bowl winning quarterback has 12 big-time throws to 11 turnover-worthy plays, including a whopping five (the most in a single game in his career to date) in the Christmas Day defeat at the hands of the Raiders. ...

“This year, Mahomes and the Chiefs’ game plan have had a foundation in underneath throws and yards after the catch. Mahomes not operating as surgically and turning over the football at nearly the highest rate of his career are huge reasons why Kansas City is barely treading water of late on offense.”

Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab wrote a story with the headline, “Chiefs need some work, but here’s why you shouldn’t count out Patrick Mahomes.”

Here is an excerpt from that story: “This is the most vulnerable the Chiefs have been in the Mahomes era. They’ve lost three of four and are 3-5 since a 6-1 start. There were plenty of social media obituaries for the 2023 Chiefs written as people assembled their kids’ Christmas gifts. The Chiefs were dead, buried, then exhumed just to be buried another time. ...

“If you want to write off the Chiefs after that loss to the Raiders it’s fine, but keep in mind that they barely lost with the Raiders scoring two defensive touchdowns in seven seconds. The defense was good again. The offense wasn’t and maybe it never will look better than it has this season. But be honest: If you’re the fan of an AFC team, do you really want to see Mahomes coming to your city for a playoff game?”

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer sees comparisons between the Chiefs and the 2006 New England Patriots.

Here is part of what he wrote: “That was Brady’s seventh year, and it was the year that Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli went a step too far in leaning on their quarterback. Confident he could make it work with less at the skill spots, and with Brady on a bigger contract (than he had been), New England held its investments on defense and along the offensive line, and cut corners at the skill positions, letting David Givens go in free agency, then trading Deion Branch right after Week 1.

“It didn’t work. The receiver problem incensed Brady, caught up to the Patriots at the end of the AFC title game and probably cost them a title. In the months to follow, Belichick and Pioli corrected it by trading for Randy Moss and Wes Welker, and signing Donté Stallworth, and the Patriots didn’t lose again until the following February.”

NBC Sports’ Chris Simms talked about the Chiefs on his podcast and said they are a “defensive football team right now. Stop looking to regain some magic from the 2017 or 2018 or 2019 team.”

Newsweek’s Joe Kozlowski wrote a story with the headline, “The Kansas City Chiefs have a problem, and it’s not Taylor Swift.”

Here is a snippet from the story: “The current iteration of the Chiefs, for all of the star power, is clearly flawed. The receiving corps lacks a true secondary option beyond (tight end Travis) Kelce, and that starts a butterfly effect. Without someone who can create separation, Mahomes has to hold the ball longer and force throws into tighter windows. Without a deep threat, the team has to dink and dunk down the field, which provides more opportunities for mistakes. And those mistakes don’t have to be game-breaking turnovers, either. Whether we’re talking about dropped passes, false starts or other penalties, the Chiefs simply find themselves in a hole.”

ESPN’s Mina Kimes, Marcus Spears, Dan Orlovsky discussed the Chiefs’ issues, and Kimes said the inability to run the ball effectively has hurt the team.

NFL.com’s Eric Edholm had the Chiefs in the No. 9 spot in his power rankings.

Here is what he wrote: “This looks like a broken team in some ways. How else do you explain losing to an opponent whose quarterback had ZERO completions on 10 pass attempts after the first quarter? The defense did its job against the Raiders, but the offense flunked yet another test. Dropped passes, turnovers and ill-timed penalties have turned one of the league’s most dangerous offenses over the past five seasons into one of the league’s most mistake-prone and disappointing units. Patrick Mahomes is averaging 6.9 yards per attempt (fewer than Desmond Ridder) and has been forced to use his legs more often, just to get anything started offensively. The Chiefs have only provided a few truly explosive offensive performances the entire season, and those were back in September and October. It’s hard to imagine that magic suddenly reappearing just in time for the playoff.”

NBC Sports’ Mike Florio wondered if the Chiefs might try to bring back former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

This is a snippet from his story: “Someone needs to push the Chiefs to be better than they are. Mahomes showed a little sideline fire on Christmas Day, when the offense once again sputtered against the Raiders. The game included tight end Travis Kelce Gronk-spiking his helmet in frustration and coach Andy Reid personally trying to get Kelce to tone it down, punctuated by a snap-out-of-it-style shoulder check.

“Bieniemy might be the one the Chiefs need. If he becomes available after Week 18, the Chiefs should consider bringing him back in an effort to get things back to the way they’ve been.”

On the NFL Network’s “NFL Total Access,” David Carr said no one is holding the Chiefs accountable for the mistakes they’re making.

“You have two issues: schematically is an issue right now, which I thought I’d never say watching the Chiefs, and then accountability and they kind of work together,” Carr said. “Schematically, I watched the tape and it’s kind of cookie cutter. like it’s basic stuff. And I’ve seen a lot more from the Kansas City Chiefs in the past. So maybe that’s Eric Bieniemy. Maybe that’s some of what (offensive coordinator) Matt Nagy is doing that is different than what Bieniemy was doing.

“And then if you have those issues, now you have the accountability aspect, which you’ve got to play better, you’ve got to protect your quarterback, but then you also have to get the ball out of your hands on time. You have to be in the right spots on the offensive side at the wide receiver position. You got to catch the football when it comes to you and there’s no one really to hold them accountable. ....

“If you’re Tom Brady or you’re Eli Manning, you’ve got to have a coach that coaches you hard. Bill Belichick always challenged Brady, right? They butted heads, but Tom Coughlin always challenged Eli Manning, and he would do it in team meeting rooms if he missed reads, the ball was not on time. And that’s what I see when I watch Pat play. Pat is a brilliant quarterback. I love watching him play. I don’t necessarily love watching him play right now.”