(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs‘ Super Bowl title defense is off to a poor start after they fell to the Detroit Lions at home on Thursday, 21-20.
It was supposed to be not only a coronation of last season’s world champs but the first step of their journey to their third ring in five years and the affirmation that they’re a true dynasty in the making.
While the Lions are a good team and made plays on both sides of the football in order to overcome a six-point fourth-quarter deficit, the Chiefs looked like a shell of their former selves without star tight end Travis Kelce, who was sidelined with a knee injury.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, in particular, didn’t look like his usual self, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin said he looked “mortal” without his favorite pass-catcher.
“Patrick Mahomes looked mortal without Travis Kelce.”
— @MichaelIrvin88 reacts to the Chiefs loss vs. Lions pic.twitter.com/afUuWbeBD8
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) September 8, 2023
More than any other team sport, football is a team game, and as great a quarterback Mahomes is — and he’s already an all-time great — he still needs capable skill players around him in order to succeed.
Kelce, the four-time All-Pro First Team selection whom Irvin called Mahomes’ “Robin,” is normally a security blanket for Kansas City, and without him, others had to pick up the slack.
Most notably, wide receiver Kadarius Toney, whom the team seems to have high hopes for, dropped multiple passes, one of which could’ve resulted in an easy touchdown.
Another one of his mishandled passes resulted in a pick-six for Detroit rookie Brian Branch that tied the game in the third quarter.
An additional problem for Kansas City is the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was their most productive wide receiver in 2022 with 933 yards.
They will have a couple of tough games coming up next, including a Week 2 game at the Jacksonville Jaguars and a Week 4 visit to Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets.
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