{"id":81334,"date":"2025-12-16T10:53:38","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T00:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/?p=81334"},"modified":"2026-07-03T10:29:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T00:29:34","slug":"the-chiefs-need-a-makeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/2025\/12\/the-chiefs-need-a-makeover\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chiefs Need a Makeover\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZWjuJRkOifU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I remember Patrick Mahomes\u2019 first week 1 start against the Chargers in 2018.<\/a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watching him, I remember thinking \u201cthis is supernatural\u201d.&nbsp;It was how I imagine people felt when The Beatles released Sgt Peppers: I&nbsp;couldn\u2019t&nbsp;tell if I was more confused, amazed, or scared.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was like he was playing quarterback from the future. He had Matt Stafford style crazy arm angles, but with Randall Cunningham movement abilities and a rocket ship attached to his right shoulder.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ball just exploded out of his hand. The pass catchers exploded with the ball in their hands. This was a team built on explosiveness. It was fireworks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Between Mahomes, then Kelce and Hill catching his passes, and an\u00a0option based\u00a0run and pass game that thrived out of the gun, the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes dominated the league.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Couldn\u2019t pick one so here\u2019s 2018 Mahomes highlights <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uhdISIC2Qx\">pic.twitter.com\/uhdISIC2Qx<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8Fwt7WZnjc\">https:\/\/t.co\/8Fwt7WZnjc<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Jay (@Jay__chiefs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jay__chiefs\/status\/1992072849268650295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Seven years later, things have changed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a disappointing season, the Chiefs entered last week needing a miracle to make the playoffs.\u00a0They ended up with Patrick Mahomes tearing his ACL as he tried to create out of the pocket yet again because there was nothing open.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today\u2019s game<br><br>Horrible news. Prayers up for Mahomes.  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NS8mLsreFb\">pic.twitter.com\/NS8mLsreFb<\/a><\/p>&mdash; BET99 Ontario (@BET99ON) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BET99ON\/status\/2000361203856761256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was emblematic of a team that shifted from being built around a superstar quarterback, to a team that became nothing more than a superstar quarterback, and he couldn\u2019t carry them any longer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is what Patrick Mahomes saw when he scrambled out of the pocket.<br><br>The Chargers get off the field with man-to-man coverage. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JsvpyqVSaN\">pic.twitter.com\/JsvpyqVSaN<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ByNateTaylor\/status\/2000277836288958618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 14, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Why?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few reasons. The first, clearly, is defences.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As offences spread out, partly inspired by Andy Reid and Mahomes, defences started to play a lot of two-high cloud coverages and\u00a0generally got\u00a0lighter, daring teams to get under centre and run the ball against them.\u00a0The Chiefs are\u00a0rarely\u00a0under centre because they have Mahomes and, despite a very expensive offensive line, don\u2019t run the ball well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How often is your team getting under center?<br><br>The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Chiefs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Chiefs<\/a> have passed the ball 30 times from under center that ranks 30th in the NFL<br><br>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NextGenStats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NextGenStats<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cETwOOMqkx\">pic.twitter.com\/cETwOOMqkx<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Price Carter (@priceacarter) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/priceacarter\/status\/1999481641442689379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 12, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another is age and attrition, especially as the team has gotten more expensive.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the one I want to focus on is a symptom of the first two.&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;the lack of winners outside of Mahomes, and how reliant the Chiefs are on genius from star players or once great coaches.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That brings me back to\u00a02018.\u00a0Again and again, Mahomes fit the ball into tight\u00a0windows\u00a0and it was caught by Kelce, or Hill, or even Sammy Watkins. Mahomes had the ability to fit it in there and, crucially, his guys could go and get a bucket.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Couldn\u2019t pick one so here\u2019s 2018 Mahomes highlights <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uhdISIC2Qx\">pic.twitter.com\/uhdISIC2Qx<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8Fwt7WZnjc\">https:\/\/t.co\/8Fwt7WZnjc<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Jay (@Jay__chiefs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jay__chiefs\/status\/1992072849268650295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 22, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s&nbsp;nobody on the team like that anymore. There are no winners.&nbsp;There\u2019s&nbsp;no low effort plays for Mahomes. You can feel it in the numbers. The Chiefs are successful on 49.8% of their drop backs, just ahead of the bombs away Dallas Cowboys, seventh in the league, because Mahomes is&nbsp;so&nbsp;good at dinking and dunking.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, they are well behind the Cowboys in EPA\/play because, unlike the Cowboys, there are no outside winners for the Chiefs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Great process from Dak Prescott on 3rd down.<br><br>Signals this 989 concept to his receivers. Then hits the hole shot to Pickens. Completely unfazed by the inverted cover 2 look from the Packers.<br><br>Hits it all in rhythm. Good stuff. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZD51Wh2G26\">pic.twitter.com\/ZD51Wh2G26<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Nate_Tice\/status\/1972513902081757351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 29, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The system is \u201cMahomes is awesome\u201d.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NOiXSoRMQkg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">They\u2019re running the Doug Collins \u201cgive it to\u00a0[Mahomes]\u00a0and everyone else get the f**k out of the way\u201d.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Philip Rivers was able to be somewhat successful against the best defence in the NFL because the Colts have outside winners, a modern scheme and a great running game.\u00a0The Colts have those easy buttons sewn into the fabric of the team like the Chiefs did in 2018.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The emotion from Philip Rivers. Nothing like it. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6tJ7DOhsdr\">pic.twitter.com\/6tJ7DOhsdr<\/a><\/p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL\/status\/2000337424875217302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 14, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If he got dropped into the 2025 Chiefs, it would have been catastrophic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because defences are so good, and are so aggressive and dictatorial, that explosive element is even more important so you can dictate to them.\u00a0Offences now need to be Juan Manual Marquez style\u00a0counterpunchers\u00a0and the Chiefs just aren\u2019t with this set of offensive talent.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;\ud835\udc05\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc20\ud835\udc21\ud835\udc2d \ud835\udc28\ud835\udc1f \ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc21\ud835\udc1e \ud835\udc03\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc1c\ud835\udc1a\ud835\udc1d\ud835\udc1e&quot;<br><br>11 years ago today, Manny Pacquaio and Juan Manuel Marquez met in the ring for the 4th time.<br><br>It will always be remembered for the KO but it shouldn\u2019t be forgotten how great this fight was.<br><br>What are the 3 KO\u2019s that shocked you the most? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MlCKHufaTP\">pic.twitter.com\/MlCKHufaTP<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Steve Boxman (@SteveBoxman) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveBoxman\/status\/1733033072356958671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 8, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;just in the passing game either. The Chiefs inability to look for, let alone find, a workable, explosive running game has&nbsp;impacted&nbsp;their ability to mesh with the modern game.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every handoff to Kareem Hunt is an acknowledgement that, at best, this is a\u00a0seven yard\u00a0play.\u00a0You can\u2019t live like that in an NFL that has been built to stop the era you helped usher in seven years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Hard-nosed running from D\u2019Andre Swift. Getting closer to 1,000 yards with every carry<br><br>What a turnaround season he\u2019s had for the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bears?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Bears<\/a> this year <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ProBowlVote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ProBowlVote<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CLOSTAKm41\">pic.twitter.com\/CLOSTAKm41<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jacobinfante24\/status\/2000301576297361843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 14, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in movies, the great directors need easy buttons, but you only get them with great actors.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nHNdxHADRy8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Training the camera on Brad Pitt driving is an easy button, but it only works because he\u2019s so compelling to watch.<\/a>&nbsp;He can do the action, but having value in the quiet moments is critical too.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tarantino gave himself easy buttons. Mahomes has none.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, can they fix it?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Heading into next year they are $44m over the cap and have an injured quarterback, though&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;assuming&nbsp;he\u2019ll&nbsp;play in week 1. Travis Kelce will likely&nbsp;retire&nbsp;and Mahomes has&nbsp;a&nbsp;nearly $80m cap hit that he&nbsp;won\u2019t&nbsp;play on.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019ll&nbsp;sort the money.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What they need, though, is a Buffalo Bills style reset year.&nbsp;They need to get queer-eyed.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a 2024 where the Bills lost to the Chiefs, they were too expensive and remade their entire team outside of Josh Allen.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They cut key offensive contributors and became an under centre, heavy personnel, run based team who had a great quarterback, rather than relying on that great quarterback to do everything.\u00a0They made Josh Allen part of the offence, rather than relying on him to be the whole thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">James Cook powered the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BuffaloBills?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BuffaloBills<\/a> back with 107 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns in New England \ud83d\udcaa <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thegreat__4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@thegreat__4<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HJDms59A1c\">pic.twitter.com\/HJDms59A1c<\/a><\/p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL\/status\/2000642016183464326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Chiefs need to do the same.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They need to invest schematically in a modern, north-south run game and get Mahomes comfortable under centre. Even if they lose talent on paper, they can remake their identity and make themselves sustainable.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also, and this is what the Bills&nbsp;haven\u2019t&nbsp;had, need a boundary receiver who can make plays on 50\/50 balls for Mahomes.&nbsp;Maybe they&nbsp;can find one with what should be&nbsp;a pretty good&nbsp;pick in the upcoming draft.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mahomes&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;bad and&nbsp;doesn\u2019t&nbsp;look to me like&nbsp;he\u2019s&nbsp;lost anything. He just needs more support in a modern NFL&nbsp;that\u2019s&nbsp;as much about easy buttons as it is having the great quarterback.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I remember Patrick Mahomes\u2019 first week 1 start against the Chargers in 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp; Watching him, I remember thinking \u201cthis is supernatural\u201d.&nbsp;It was how I imagine people felt when The Beatles released Sgt Peppers: I&nbsp;couldn\u2019t&nbsp;tell if I was more confused, amazed, or scared.&nbsp; It was like he was playing quarterback from the future. He had Matt Stafford style crazy arm angles, but with Randall Cunningham movement abilities and a rocket ship attached to his right shoulder.&nbsp;&nbsp; The ball just exploded out of his hand. The pass catchers exploded with the ball in their hands. This was a team built on explosiveness.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":47744,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8298,13,344],"tags":[8260,47],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-81334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guywholikessport","category-american-football","category-sports","tag-guywholikessport","tag-nfl"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":"","md_tip_date_end":"","md_market_url":"","tip_date":"16\/12\/2025","event_country":"Australia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81334"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87724,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81334\/revisions\/87724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81334"},{"taxonomy":"hub_post_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub_post_cat?post=81334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}