Kansas City Chiefs: What is wrong with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid's dynasty Chiefs?

With a record of six wins and seven losses on the season, the Kansas City Chiefs are facing the very real prospect of not making the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 campaign.

And that has prompted many think pieces - just like this one - asking: 'What is wrong with the team that has played in the last three Super Bowls?'

The Chiefs have already conceded the AFC West with Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. That will end their run of nine straight division titles. They are also up against it in terms of keeping their streak of reaching AFC Championship Games alive. They have played in the last seven - every season that Patrick Mahomes has been their starter.

With Kansas City's period of dominance coming hot on the heels of similar greatness from the New England Patriots, this season could mark the first AFC Championship game not featuring Mahomes or Tom Brady since the 2010 campaign when Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) faced off against Mark Sanchez (New York Jets).

So, what is wrong with the Chiefs?

• NFL: Bills beat Bengals after Burrow's nightmare finish
• World Cup and Super Bowl latest - Welcome to California LIVE!
• Which NFL games are live on Sky Sports this week?
• Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺

Let me start by telling you what is not wrong. The two most pivotal positions in the franchise are still dripping in greatness in head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes at quarterback.

Sure, Reid has not enjoyed his best campaign. He has taken blame for some key in-game decisions at times, including in Sunday's loss to Houston. And both he and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy could be accused of the attack becoming a tad too predictable, relying too heavily on Mahomes to produce some of his usual magic. But I refuse to believe that Reid won't figure it out - he is an all-time great and will be crucial to a future fightback.

There are plenty of facts and figures that will show how Mahomes has declined and I will admit there are times when he has not been at his elite best. But the reality is that he still passes the eyeball test (he looked great when I saw him throw four touchdown passes in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day), bails his team out time and again and has played well enough to lead another playoff charge.

The Chiefs have wasted what could have been another special season in the prime of Mahomes' Hall of Fame career that has already delivered three Super Bowl titles.

The offensive line has crumbled and conceded way too much pressure, but I can almost forgive that given the injuries that have been suffered up front. But what about the skill position players around Mahomes? They have consistently let their quarterback and their team down.

Who is the stand-out and game-breaking running back? They don't have one. Kareem Hunt is an admirable workhorse and is as tough as they come. But the 30-year-old leads this team with just 545 rushing yards and has just one run longer than 20 yards all season. Mahomes ranks second on this squad with 407 rushing yards. Take away his efforts on some gutsy scrambles and they would rank a lot lower than their current position of 17th in the NFL.

The receivers and tight ends are just as guilty. Rashee Rice has blown massively hot and cold since returning from a ban that wiped out the first six games of the year. He has suffered some key drops and disappeared in big spots, notably catching just four passes for 34 yards in the Thanksgiving Day loss in Dallas.

Fellow wideout Xavier Worthy has elite speed but has yet to show that he can be the complete package. He must show he has more than raw physical skills to help elevate an attack that has become much easier to defend than in years past.

Travis Kelce is the most productive of the passing game targets, but his legs have all but gone at 36 and he also has been guilty of some key drops. I just watched Mahomes throw a catchable pass to Kelce on Sunday night and he bobbled it right into the hands of a Houston defensive back. Fellow tight end Noah Gray has also dropped too many passes.

Defensively, Chris Jones has played like the All-Pro we have been used to seeing dominate the NFL from the defensive tackle position in recent years. But there was an obvious lack of effort earlier in the campaign, notably walking around at the line of scrimmage as Trevor Lawrence got off the deck to dive into the endzone to score the winning touchdown for Jacksonville in October.

Jones has switched it on too late, the pass rush has generally been poor and the secondary has been seriously thinned out by injury.

Which leads me to the roster-building job that has been done by general manager Brett Veach. It's not been nearly good enough. There has been too much of an assumption that the form of previous campaigns will be replicated. And there is most definitely a belief that Mahomes will produce the necessary magic at the right time. That led to a record number of close-game wins in 2024. The Chiefs have suffered six losses by at least one score in 2025.

A big offseason beckons for a Chiefs team that must switch philosophical gears now. They can no longer assume Mahomes is going to carry the rest of the squad.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What would this team look like in 2026 if they found their version of Brock Bowers or Tyler Warren at tight end via the NFL Draft? What would be the impact of the free agent signings of wide receiver George Pickens and running back Breece Hall? How about swinging a trade for Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett at defensive end?

Okay, that's all a bit too much like playing fantasy football; but you get the point. The Chiefs have a Rolls Royce at quarterback and a collection of bog-standard family saloons surrounding him.

That has to change in 2026 if this is to be a mere bump in the road and not the complete crumbling of a dynasty. A rebuild can be done. Brady won Super Bowls with New England in the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons. Then he won three more after a 10-year gap in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

So, there is hope for the Chiefs. But they face a massive offseason once this testing campaign is finally done and dusted.

Watch the 2025 NFL season live on Sky Sports, including every minute of the playoffs and Super Bowl LX; Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.