This year, the Kansas City Chiefs face a daunting task after Week 2. Historically, of the 15 seasons starting 0-2, they made the playoffs only once, and that too, lost in the wild-card round. In fact, overall, since 1990, only 12.2% teams have made the postseason after dropping 0-2. Patrick Mahomes, who is known as the game-changer, has often reiterated that they are focused on success. But with each loss this time, the Chiefs Kingdom is sinking deeper into the hole. What’s more concerning is that most of the problems aren’t new; they have been continuing since last year. But the biggest highlight? Grim Reaper’s own play is under question.

This year, Patrick Mahomes is dropping back more than his regular play. The Athletic‘s Austin Mock revealed his career scramble rate is 6.2% and the highest was 7.6% in 2023. This year, he is already at more than 15%. That’s a 100% increase! It also shows how the Chiefs’ OLs have failed to stop the mounting defenses. Moreover, while the week 2 loss against the Eagles can be attributed to their hard defense, the season opener loss against the Chargers was out of the blue.

Still, Patrick Mahomes isn’t pointing fingers. He’s blaming himself for the Chiefs’ offensive struggles. He admitted that while scrambling has bailed the team out at times, it hasn’t always been the smartest choice. Instead, he believes staying in the pocket longer, trusting his line, and working through his progressions could have opened up bigger plays down the field. Mahomes knows the opportunities have been there, and it’s on him to execute better and give his receivers the chance to make something happen. And this brings us to a continued concern.

The Chiefs’ WR still lacks depth. Rashee Rice is serving his 6-game suspension. Xavier Worthy injured his shoulder in the week 1 game and did not play in week 2. Without these two, other receivers have failed to carry them. Last year, Rice injured himself in week 4 and missed the entire season. But still, Mahomes kept the ship sailing till the end.

Without solid receivers, the Chiefs finished 2024 with 26 receiving TDs, along with Mahomes’ 11 disappointing interceptions. It was Patrick Mahomes’ magical leadership that took them into the Super Bowl. But this time, they are in danger. That also puts pressure on the offensive linemen. So far, they have already allowed 36.95 pressures, ranking a low 16th among 32 teams. However, there’s another challenge that Andy Reid and his coaches have to look into.

This year, their schedule is tough. Mock predicted it to be the 6th-hardest. Out of the next 15 games, there are 5 games in which Mock predicted their chances of winning to be around 50%. If they lose those 5 games, they will be sitting with a 10-7 record. Would it be enough to take them into the playoffs? Probably not!

If they fail to qualify, it might mark a heartbreaking end to the career of their veteran tight end, who is almost in his last year.

Patrick Mahomes needs to ramp up his efforts for his friend Travis Kelce

Let’s jog back to the evening of February 9, 2025, when New Orleans was caught up in the Super Bowl fever. Swifties thronged to Caesars Superdome. But the game ended 22-40 against the Chiefs. The aftermath? Travis Kelce walked through the stadium alleys alone, disappointed and heartbroken. The talk of his retirement got louder. But he came back, seemingly for one last dance.

His numbers last year weren’t great. 16 games (all starters), 97 receptions for 823 yards and 3 touchdowns. That’s the lowest TD in his career, except for his rookie year, when he played only 1 game. But Patrick Mahomes believed in his friend. On the ground, though, the challenges still exist!

In 2 games of 2025, Travis Kelce has logged 6 receptions for 108 yards and 1 touchdown. And he is turning 36 in 16 days. So, expecting him to carry the workload is a bit too overboard. But that’s the state of the Chiefs right now. They need to find other ways. And Chiefs’ Kingdom knows that Andy Reid will find a way around that.

Kelce was in the news during the week 1 game when Chargers DT Teair Tart threw a punch and avoided ejection. But the TE understands that expecting their rivals to go easy on them isn’t logical. However, this season, they will be running a race against time more than their rivals. Last year, they ended 15-2. This year, they are already 0-2. Grim Reaper is the man in charge. 2025 is the year that will test his true abilities.