The Kansas City Chiefs are watching their season slip away as they fall further from a playoff spot, and Patrick Mahomes could be seeing a personal accolade going with it.
The Chiefs looked to rebound from their loss to the Buffalo Bills, getting a bye week to prepare for a critical divisional matchup with the Denver Broncos. But the Chiefs struggled to find consistency on offense and stalled out at the end of the game, allowing the Broncos to get a come-from-behind win.
The 22-19 loss may have sealed any hopes of another division title, while also putting a third MVP award out of reach for Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes Drops in MVP Standings
Mahomes was briefly seen as a frontrunner for the MVP award after leading the Chiefs to five wins in six games, but the team has since hit a wall. Back-to-back losses dropped them to 5-5, while Mahomes fell to fifth place on the MVP ladder.
USA Today reporter Jack McKessy noted that Mahomes now ranks behind favorite Matthew Stafford as well as Drake Maye, Josh Allen, and Jonathan Taylor in the latest MVP odds.
“Mahomes’ odds to win a third MVP award dipped in Week 11,” McKessy wrote. “The Chiefs’ offense struggled against the Broncos’ mighty defense in the loss on the road. Kansas City’s quarterback finished the game 29-of-45 for 276 yards, one touchdown and an interception.”
Allen was behind Mahomes going into Week 11, but his six-touchdown performance in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vaulted him ahead of the Chiefs quarterback — while the win made it even more difficult for Kansas City to compete for a postseason berth.
Patrick Mahomes Takes Responsibility for Chiefs Loss
Mahomes put the blame on himself for Sunday’s loss, saying he needs to be more consistent. He threw an interception and watched the team go three-and-out on each of their final two drives, giving the Broncos chances to tie and then win the game with field-goal drives.
Mahomes said his inability to make throws has been killing drives.
“I think we’re really talented and we’ve got a lot of great players, but it’s about being more consistent. I think it starts with me,” Mahomes told reporters after the game, via SI.com. “There’s times where I’m firing and we’re moving the ball down the field at ease. But there’s times where we go in spurts where I miss a throw or a [pass] protection call.
“We haven’t been consistent enough to win games. It starts with me.”
The Chiefs — seen briefly as Super Bowl favorites after getting back to 5-3 — will now face a challenge in climbing back into the playoff picture. The loss dropped them four wins behind the Broncos for the lead in the AFC West and created a difficult path to a wild-card spot. All three teams currently holding wild cards — Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, and Jacksonville Jaguars — have beaten the Chiefs.
The Chiefs also currently lose the conference tie-breaker to the Houston Texans, the next team back from a playoff spot at 5-5.
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