RM MAHOMES’ MID-SEASON CRISIS: Is the Chiefs’ Dynasty Slipping at 5-4? Why a Broncos Sweep Has Become Mandatory
A Crisis of Confidence for a Supposed Championship Team
There’s a quiet disbelief hanging in the air. It’s November 5, 2025, and the Kansas City Chiefs—long the gold standard of the AFC—are entering their bye week with a startlingly mediocre 5-4 record. For a franchise accustomed to chasing the No. 1 seed, hovering just one game above .500 isn’t merely disappointing; it feels existential. The harsh truth is unavoidable: if the postseason began today, Kansas City wouldn’t qualify.
Analysts and fans alike are scrambling to make sense of it. As Michael Darcy and co-hosts Kyle Collier and Cadence Sproul note, the uncomfortable question must be asked: are the Chiefs actually a good team disguised by a bad record, or is this the sobering reality of a roster performing below average?
Most watching closely still believe the Chiefs are fundamentally strong. “I still think they’re the AFC champs,” Collier insists, pointing to the talent on the roster and their statistical dominance. Both the offense and defense sit inside the top three in success rate—numbers typically associated with a juggernaut, not a stumbling team. The contradiction at the heart of the season is that the Chiefs look elite on paper yet keep faltering in defining, high-leverage moments.
The Jacksonville Giveaway: The Loss That Shifted the Season
To understand why Kansas City sits at 5-4, their losses must be examined—and the one that stands out is the collapse against Jacksonville. That single defeat is the difference between 5-4 and 6-3, a difference that would have completely changed the landscape in the division. Instead, the Chiefs squandered a game that was theirs for the taking.
While losses to top-tier opponents like the Eagles or Bills are understandable, the Jaguars defeat was described as the one that “truly altered the season.” It was a self-inflicted setback—an inexplicable failure to finish a winnable game that set the tone of inconsistency that has lingered ever since.
The Bills loss exposed a different problem entirely: for the first time in years, the Chiefs’ defense showed real vulnerability. James Cook became the first 100-yard rusher against a Steve Spagnuolo unit in three seasons. Injuries on the offensive line, including Jawaan Taylor’s absence and Josh Simmons’ temporary departure from the team, left the left side exposed and contributed to an overall performance far from title-worthy.
A Revitalized Offense, but No More Excuses
There are, however, signs of an elite team waiting to break through. Rashee Rice’s return has “unlocked the offense,” significantly improving production. This boost is crucial, especially with Travis Kelce—still the leading tight end in yardage at age 36—no longer able to carry the load as the unquestioned primary option. Integrating second-year wideout Xavier Worthy more fully into the adjusted scheme is the next step toward regaining explosive capability.
Even so, one player’s return can’t erase all the problems. As Michael Darcy emphasizes, the list of excuses—injuries, suspensions, lineup instability—is running thin. “We’re one game over .500. I’m running out of excuses,” he says, highlighting the growing frustration.
And Patrick Mahomes himself echoed that urgency after the Buffalo loss with a rare emotional statement: “We don’t have any more losses to give.” Gone are the days when a mid-season misstep simply delayed the march to the AFC’s top seed. The margin for error is gone, replaced by the stark reality that every game now carries postseason weight.
A Familiar Story — and a Well-Timed Bye Week
This isn’t the first time Kansas City has faced serious doubts mid-year. In 2021, the Chiefs began 3-4 and were widely written off before storming back to win nine of their final ten games and finish 12-5. That historical precedent provides a blueprint: when an Andy Reid-led team refocuses, it becomes one of the most dangerous units in football.
This time around, the team is actually better positioned than in 2021. And the bye week could not have arrived at a more perfect moment. It offers much-needed recovery time for key players like Isaiah Pacheco and Jawaan Taylor and ensures that left tackle Josh Simmons can be reinserted to stabilize the offensive line.
Andy Reid’s legendary record after a bye—32-7—is another reason for optimism. If there is one coach capable of engineering a mid-season turnaround, it’s Reid.
The AFC West, the Broncos, and the Must-Have Sweep
Despite the rocky start, the AFC West remains within reach. But the path is clear: Kansas City must sweep Denver. There is no scenario in which the Chiefs reclaim the division without beating the Broncos twice.
Those two games coming out of the bye are now the most crucial stretch of the season. Historically, Mahomes has dominated the Broncos with a remarkable 13-1 record against them. That dominance, paired with Reid’s post-bye magic, must translate into wins.
A KC Sports Report poll reflects a fractured fanbase: 49% still believe the Chiefs can win the division, 33% do not, and 18% are undecided—mirroring the team’s precarious position between dynasty and decline.
The Stakes: A Season That Will Be Defined by What Comes Next
The Chiefs remain a championship-level roster with more top-end talent than any team in the AFC. The bye week addresses nearly all the structural issues that plagued them in the first half of the season. But the time for rationalizations is over. The quarterback has issued the ultimatum. The schedule demands urgency. The division requires perfection.
Everything now hinges on whether this team can finally synchronize its potential and produce the dominant version of itself that the league has been waiting to see.
The story of the 2025 Kansas City Chiefs will not be written by their shaky start—it will be written by how they respond to it. It’s now or never.
