With three games left, the Kansas City Chiefs are already staring at the end. The record sits at 6-8, and the playoff door is shut. The Chiefs’ offense, once the league’s most feared, now ranks 31st in explosive plays. One analyst believes the problem isn’t the talent, but the very philosophy that made them great.

On the Ross Tucker Podcast, Greg Cosell explained the issue is not effort; it is structure, or more specifically, the lack of it. He pointed towards Patrick Mahomes and how often the offense drifts away from its base. Yet, he also made it clear that it was not a Mahomes blame game. Cosell explained how thin the margin really is.

“There’s a very fine line between playing outside of structure and being great, which Mahomes is, and then playing within the structure of an offense, and as great as Mahomes is outside of structure, it’s just really hard to be consistent playing that way, and my sense was that too many times this year, that line got crossed to the negative side, and I’m not blaming Patrick Mahomes. Obviously, the offensive line had issues.”

That line, according to Cosell, got crossed too often.

The Chiefs sit 28th in rush rate. At the same time, they lead the league in pass rate in neutral situations. When they do run, it mostly comes from the gun. In fact, they rank 28th in under-center runs. This is a shotgun offense. Most runs are RPOs (run-pass options). Mahomes decides and throws it or hands it off.

Earlier in Mahomes’ career, that worked. Defenses struggled with RPOs. Now, things are different. Defenses adjusted, and the explosives are gone. The Kansas City Chiefs rank 12th in rushing success rate at 41.3 percent. Still, they sit 31st in explosive rush rate at just 5.4 percent.

The best shotgun run teams have mobile quarterbacks. That threat tilts numbers fast. When the quarterback keeps it, chaos follows. With RPOs, the advantage should still exist. However, they take longer to develop. Now, looking at the next game week, the Chiefs have another issue.

Andy Reid’s Chiefs face a growing injury storm

For now, there is only pride left to chase. The Chiefs welcome a struggling Tennessee Titans team with nothing on the line. Still, this game is far from simple. Andy Reid is staring at more than just the absence of Patrick Mahomes. In fact, the City of Fountains feels thinner by the week, and the injury list keeps growing.

Then on Friday, the news got heavier. Reid addressed the media and did not sugarcoat it. Several players could not practice at all. That list included Leo Chenal and Derrick Nnadi. It also featured Trent McDuffie and Tyquan Thornton. Rashee Rice was out there, too. So were Jaylon Moore and Jawaan Taylor. And this is the depth the Arrowhead team cannot afford to lose right now.

So, with Mahomes sidelined, the keys go to Gardner Minshew. He is not new to this spot; he has started games before. He knows how to survive Sundays. The Chiefs will ask him to manage the moment.

Ultimately, this season has been rough. There have been more lows than highs. Very little has sparked real hope. Even a win this week changes little. It would only hurt draft position. That is where the Chiefs stand now – playing for pride, managing injuries, and waiting for answers that will come later.