The San Francisco 49ers visit the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, and the Chiefs are preparing for that game. And while much of the spotlight will be on that impending game right now, it’s obvious that the Chiefs are regretting a missed chance to gain an advantage over their main rival in the AFC in Week 6 when they lost to the Buffalo Bills 24-20.
The Chiefs ultimately allowed the game to escape their control in a heavyweight contest between two of the league’s elite clubs. As the Bills would hold the tiebreaker if they end up being tied for the top slot in the AFC come playoff time, this could be a crucial win for Kansas City.
But since that’s still a ways off, the Chiefs still have time to bounce back from their difficult loss to the Bills. It’s critical to examine the three players that suffered the most in Week 6 as they prepare for their Week 7 clash in the hopes that they will improve this weekend. Picking out the three players most accountable for the Chiefs’ second loss of the year will help us understand why their troubles had such a significant influence on the club.
3. Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City played well against Buffalo for the most part. This includes Patrick Mahomes, who with a good throwing line (25/40, 338 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT) kept the offence going all day. The issue is that the Chiefs’ victory over their new adversary was probably lost as a result of Mahomes’ two interceptions on the day.
Mahomes’ day began and ended with interceptions. On the Chiefs’ opening drive of the game, he threw a costly interception in the end zone, which cost them at least three points given that they were at the nine-yard line for the Bills. Although it might not seem significant given that the Chiefs lost by four points, it could have affected the outcome of their game’s last offensive drive.
That’s because Taron Johnson, not a member of Mahomes’ own club, caught his final pass of the day from Mahomes. Mahomes forced a ball that he probably wishes to take back with just over a minute left to guide his team down the field for the game-winning touchdown. Mahomes played a really nice game, but his two costly errors put him on this list.
2. George Karlaftis
When George Karlaftis made his Chiefs debut, there was a lot of anticipation. After impressing in training camp and the preseason, Kansas City’s first-round draught pick in 2022 was anticipated to have a significant impact on the pass rush. However, Karlaftis has yet to have much of an effect through six games, and this is seriously hurting the Chiefs defence.
Karlaftis has only recorded 12 tackles and 0.5 sacks through six games despite the Chiefs’ attempts to use him in the pass rush. The Chiefs reduced Karlaftis’ playing time in Week 6 to just 56 percent of their defensive snaps, his lowest snap percentage of the season, since he hasn’t been able to accomplish that.
Karlaftis once again struggled against Buffalo, as Allen was only struck four times, with Chris Jones recording the lone sack. If Karlaftis wants to continue on the field, he will need to start getting to the quarterback more frequently; otherwise, the Chiefs will need to find another defensive lineman.
1. Clyde Edwards-Helaire
The Chiefs offence suffered all game long as a result of Clyde Edwards-failure Helaire’s to establish a successful ground game, which may seem unjust to some. Edwards-Helaire has played a bigger role in the offence than was anticipated to start the season, but he didn’t contribute much against the Bills, gaining only 33 yards on nine rushes and staying out of the passing game.
Edwards-Helaire has the ability to play a key role in Kansas City’s offensive, but he is unable to constantly engage in the action. The Chiefs offence struggles when he can’t support Mahomes at quarterback, despite the fact that his statistics aren’t the worst we’ve ever seen from him (he got 0 yards on seven attempts against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3).
The Chiefs offence failed to score points throughout the whole game as a result of Edwards-absence. Helaire’s Mahomes didn’t play poorly, but if Edwards-Helaire had offered him some assistance on the ground, it might have given the Chiefs just enough room to win. Edwards-performance Helaire’s wasn’t terrible, but his disappearing trick earns him the #1 slot on this list.
The article The 3 Chiefs most to blame for Week 6 defeat by the Bills first published on ClutchPoints.
