Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes hasn't gotten much help from his receiving corps of late. In fact, the Chiefs failure to acquire a top wide receiver either before the regular season or at the trade deadline may be Brett Veach's greatest mistake when all is said and done, especially if Kansas City fails to reach and win another Super Bowl.
The Chiefs feature an elite defense for the first time in awhile. Mahomes is still on his game, while Travis Kelce and Isaiah Pacheco are excellent compliments. The lack of a real weapon on the outside has made the offense a little too predictable, especially against opponents like the Philadelphia Eagles, which possess the players to strategically shut those stars down.
On Monday night, Mahomes leaned on his receiver group when he needed them most. A notable drop by Marquez Valdes-Scantling, plus some miscoummunications down the field with Mahomes' young wideouts, played a critical role in the end result. While the Chiefs $500 million man has said nothing but kind words about his receiving corps, the stats don't lie.
Stats don't lie: Patrick Mahomes needs help from Chiefs receivers
Mahomes blamed himself as often as possible following the Super Bowl rematch. Even on the drop by MVS, Mahomes found ways he could improve in the future.
"They triple-team (tight end) Travis (Kelce), so I went to the guy that won downfield," Mahomes said. "Marquez won, but he just didn't come away with the ball. I could probably throw it a little bit shorter. He was that open."
While Mahomes commentary may be the sign of a true leader, internally one would hope Andy Reid and Co. are demanding more from the skill-position group.
"They know I'm going to keep firing it," Mahomes continued. "That's just who I am. I'm going to fire it to the guy who's open. Usually, they're going to make the plays."
Mahomes can and should keep throwing the ball their way. But at some point, the results need to show.