The Kansas City Chiefs may have secured a victory by 13 points, but the path ahead feels full of thorns. Week 4 will have them face off against their archrivals, the Baltimore Ravens, who, apparently, are also standing at 1-2. Yet, the predictions don’t favor the Chiefs. Crisis at hand? Offense. They only managed to log 306 yards and 22 points against a team that couldn’t hold off the Cowboys a week ago. Though they are missing key offensive pieces such as Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, the offense is stumbling in every game so far. It feels like a blanket of somber clouds over The Arrowhead. 

Ravens and Chiefs may be on the same footing, but chances of survival, or rather thriving, are with Baltimore. Mark Schlereth of FOX Sports explained why. Of course, writing off a team that has been ruling the league for so many years as a playoff contender might be too soon. However, their insistent offensive struggle is calling the ominous clouds, even if Patrick Mahomes is trying to leave no stone unturned. 

“They haven’t blocked anybody well. They don’t run the ball well,” Schlereth said in an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. “I mean, going into last weekend, Patrick Mahomes was their leading rusher, so they don’t really block anybody.” Mahomes’ 123 rushing yards in the first two games were not only the highest across the league among quarterbacks, but the highest in Chiefs, even with everyone’s combined. That’s not a good look for the run game. Schlereth also highlighted that Andy Reid has never been big on winning games by running the ball. It may have worked thus far, but perhaps it’s time to reshuffle things inside the clubhouse. 

While Mahomes took over the duties of running back, the passing game suffered. Well, that’s also because of the absence of two of the key weapons, Rice and Worthy. Still, tight end Travis Kelce and Hollywood Brown are there. Shouldn’t they be enough to give the team a standing? “Travis just does not look like he’s got the same burst top of his route,” claimed the FOX Sports analyst. The star TE was recently even yelling at his head coach on the sideline over his limited usage. But the toughest part? They “don’t have a go-to guy. You don’t have one thing that you do.” 

Speaking from his own experience, Schlereth highlighted that sometimes, a single spark is all that’s needed to turn things around for a team facing adversity. The Chiefs lack that. The analyst noted, “I always say this, throughout my own career of playing offense, it’s important to have one thing that you can hang your hat on.” He believes Kansas desperately needs to do that one thing. “Find me one thing that we do well, and then we can change it up with formations and motions and shifts, but we just run that one thing.” 

The Buffalo Bills have a high-powered offense led by Josh Allen that carries the entire team. The 49ers have a stout defense that creates turnovers and suffocates their opponents. And the Ravens have built a reputation for strong defensive performance through franchise history. Even if it’s struggling at the moment, the ship is not sinking. 

The Chiefs, however, were pretty much known for their offense, particularly Mahomes. Their abilities to make big plays and score points often compensate for other inconsistencies. But it fell on the face in Super Bowl LIX, and hasn’t gotten up since. “Right now, I look at the Kansas City Chiefs, I go, there is not one thing I can point to that I say, ‘Hey, man, they’re really good at this,’” he concluded. Their Week 4 opponent, the Ravens, is averaging 40 points in the first two games. Of course, the Bills and Lions gave them a tough challenge that felt doubled with the Ravens’ struggling defense; their spirit isn’t broken. So, of course, when it came to choosing between the two, Schlereth picked the Ravens over the Chiefs without any hesitation. 

Chiefs pin hopes on Rashee Rice’s return

The biggest concern with the Chiefs at the moment is Mahomes having too much on his plate. That’s likely something that is jeopardizing their standing. Reason, if you must ask? No help out there. Worthy and Jalen Royals are out with injuries, and Rice has been suspended, leaving the receiving corps with Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton. As a result, they are ranked 17th in combined total after averaging just 315.7 yards per game and with 20 points. If anything that can save them is having Rice back. 

“We do get 4 (Rashee Rice) back, and I know the guys will be fired up about that, to see him,” head coach Reid said, via KC Sports Network. Rice is expected to be back by Week 7, but “just having him around, he’s a good, positive energy to have around.” 

Rice is Mahomes’ biggest weapon and most reliable arm on the field. He went down in 2024 with a knee injury in Week 4 and then got suspended by the league for his involvement in the tragic multi-vehicle collision in Dallas. His suspension would be over by Week 7, when they’ll be facing the Raiders. He returned to the Organized Team Activities practice earlier in May, just by having him make the offensive explosive again, and quarterback Mahomes at his best.