A split-second mistake at the goal line can change everything. The Jacksonville Jaguars did not miss their chance in Monday Night Week 5 clash against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs looked flat and felt the letdown instantly. Star tight end Travis Kelce ended up right in the spotlight. The questions came fast, and the frustrations grew.

Kelce is usually the Chiefs’ spark. But this season, something’s off. Twice, after red zone turnovers, Kelce didn’t chase. He let the play die; no second effort, no hustle. And as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio called it, this was a cause for concern.

“I always tread lightly here cuz I don’t want to have the Swifties after me for saying this, but we’ve seen twice this year…Turnovers at the goal line and no effort to pursue. – You don’t know what’s going to happen. Get down there. All hell could break loose. The ball could come out. You could be in the right place at the right time. You don’t just give up on the play. – I think all football players need to look at that. And the teaching point is it’s never over. Don’t assume it’s over. And don’t assume that that one in a million shot isn’t going to happen.” 

Travis Kelce’s first letdown came against the Philadelphia Eagles, where he fumbled a catch, which led to a turnover in a crucial scoring drive. The ball got picked off, and the Eagles landed a huge yardage gain from it. In Week 5 against the Jags, linebacker Devin Lloyd picked off a scoring pass from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes intended for Kelce. Lloyd didn’t just intercept; he turned it into a 99-yard pick-6. But what stung the most on that play? 

Kelce missed the catch and made no effort to chase Lloyd down, even when Mahomes himself made a dive to try to stop him.

In critical moments that define seasons, where Travis usually becomes the spark that brings home the win, his moves this season have left the Chiefs in the dust. But the TE’s situation isn’t unique. 

Chiefs’ defensive tackle Chris Jones stopped on the final play of the game, thinking Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was down on the ground for good. But Lawrence scrambled to his feet and rushed for a touchdown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Jones had later addressed his mistake:

“It’s a teaching point for me. A little adversity. I can’t think the play is over, you know what I mean? It’s a learning lesson. I thought it was over, thought we had him down.”

And head coach Andy Reid now faces worrying trends that might spell doom for Kansas City if left unchecked.

Andy Reid’s woes: the Chiefs’ upsetting trends

Effort isn’t the only problem. Discipline is slipping. Penalties, stalled drives, and late-game errors have all added up to deliver three rushing defeats to the Chiefs already this season. The urgency that made the Chiefs kings is fading at the worst possible time. And the biggest worrisome trend of all? 

Last season, the Chiefs won 11 games that were decided by one scoring drive that ended the game. This season, they’ve dropped all three of their close contests that were decided by a single scoring drive from their opponents. Hesitation snowballs quickly. They used to close out tight games; now, those victories are slipping away with added penalties. 

Penalties became a major reason that killed the Chiefs in Jacksonville: 13 flags. Momentum died and confidence disappeared as they handed field positions on a silver platter. And the urgency is everywhere now. As Patrick Mahomes noted:

“Obviously, it sucks. You let a game slip away. It still sucks whenever you get a lead and you’re not able to hold it. – We have the guys and we’ve executed at certain points in games and looked really good, but we crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes.”

The Chiefs have the roster and the attitude. The only missing ingredient is relentless urgency. If they want to flip the script, the hustle must come back in every snap and every yard. As they gear up to face a Detroit Lions squad that’s firing on all cylinders so far, the only question is: can the Chiefs do it?