Andy Reid finally snapped. You could see it building all afternoon, the muttering under his breath, the quick glances at his assistants, the headset coming on and off. Then came the moment. The Eagles lined up for another tush push. The left guard twitched early. No flag. First down. Reid exploded, pointing at the line judge, yelling across the field as Arrowhead thundered behind him.

“I’ll take full responsibility for that game,” Andy Reid admitted in the post-game conference. “Probably too aggressive on that and that’s my responsibility. Thought my guys played their tail off and played hard and aggressive football. They stuck together throughout the game and that’ll pay for us down the road.” That was vintage Big Red, owning the call even while seething about the officiating. He wanted his players to know he had their back.

He doubled down on his defense, too. “It was a good defensive performance,” Andy Reid said. And he was right. Chris Jones was everywhere, making two tackles, and Trent McDuffie was sticky in coverage. That is why this loss stings more. When your defense holds Jalen Hurts to 101 passing yards and keeps A.J. Brown out of the end zone, you should win. But the small margins limited the Chiefs.

“I obviously thought the plays we called were available,” Andy Reid said about his fourth-and-one gamble in his own territory. “It didn’t get done the way I wanted it.” That is the subtle frustration; the design was right, the execution just off by a beat. Against a contender like Philadelphia, that single beat is the difference between celebration and silence.

This loss is not just a bad Sunday. It is history. For the first time since 2014, Kansas City is 0-2. For the first time in the Mahomes era, they have lost three straight, including February’s Super Bowl. Reid knows that perception matters. These are not just losses. They are cracks in the aura that used to intimidate opponents before the opening kickoff. The Chiefs do not look untouchable anymore, and everyone in the league can smell it.

Patrick Mahomes’ era faces its first real test under Andy Reid

Patrick Mahomes gave Kansas City every chance. He threw for 187 yards on just 16 of 29 completions and a touchdown, ran for 66 more, and added a dazzling 13-yard score with his legs. “We got the defense that we wanted,” Mahomes said of his second-quarter run. “I (was) just trusting coach Reid, whatever he calls, you know, and we’ve put it in, and you kind of got have to get the right look and we didn’t think they were going to give us that right look this week.” For a moment, Arrowhead felt like Arrowhead again, loud, confident, unstoppable.

But this game was cruel. Mahomes’ lone interception was a backbreaker, a tipped throw snagged by Andrew Mukuba that set up Philly’s go-ahead touchdown. “It’s kind of been throughout the whole team,” Mahomes said. “It’s to one guy here or there….not like we’re missing by much. And so, I know it s—s to hear the fans, but I feel like we’re close.” That is the part that gnaws at him, knowing the offense is just inches away from breaking through, yet keeps coming up short.

Then came the lightning strike, a 49-yard bomb to Tyquan Thornton with three minutes left that pulled Kansas City within three and sent the stadium into a frenzy. “I always want to go for it, that is just who I am,” Mahomes said later about the decision to stay aggressive late. “I would rather be on the aggressive side of history than the non-aggressive side.” It was classic Mahomes, fearless, chasing greatness even as the clock worked against him.

And still, history was made, just not the kind he wanted. For the first time in his career, Mahomes has lost three straight games. For the first time since 2014, the Chiefs are winless through two weeks. “When you deal with adversity, it is about how you deal with it,” Mahomes said. “I am excited for the next few weeks to see who wants to be challenged, and how we can get back and really get after it.” That quiet walk off the field was not just disappointment. It was a promise.

The truth is, Andy Reid’s team is not playing like the 15-2 machine from last year. They are banged up, missing Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, relying on a patched-together receiver group. They are asking Mahomes to be Superman every week, and even Superman needs help. The magic plays that saved them last season are not coming through, and now, every team in the league knows this is the moment to take their shot.

And yet, you cannot shake the feeling that Mahomes loves this. He is 29, in the prime of his career, and suddenly staring down the kind of adversity he has never had to face. Week 3 in New York is no ordinary game now. It is a gut check, a litmus test, a chance for Mahomes and Reid to prove that this is not the start of a slide. It is the start of their next great run.