Patrick Mahomes' Flu Game Flop Highlights Kansas City's Lack of Depth

During his famous "flu game," Michael Jordan underscored his reputation as a relentless competitor. On a snowy day in Denver, however, an ailing Patrick Mahomes couldn't deliver. The quarterback had an ugly day at the office, failing to find the end zone. And with No. 15 struggling, the Kansas City Chiefs came up short on Sunday.

That's not to say that Mahomes is a failure or that he'll never be an all-time great. Jordan's gritty performance came during the NBA Finals. Mahomes has delivered in the clutch, and, in the big picture, a single regular-season loss isn't that important.

At the same time, though, this Chiefs defeat does have something in common with their Week 1 loss: It highlights the reigning Super Bowl champs' overall lack of offensive depth.

Mahomes Struggled and No One Picked Him Up

At the risk of stating the obvious, most modern NFL offenses are reliant on strong quarterback play. Given that the man under center touches the ball on almost every snap, he plays a key role in making things happen.

So, it's not surprising that Mahomes' off day cost the Chiefs.

While the flu didn't keep him from taking the field, the two-time NFL MVP wasn't himself. Mahomes completed 24-of-38 passes, throwing for 241 yards. After that, though, the stats go downhill. He didn't find the end zone but threw two interceptions. He also lost a fumble and was sacked three times.

"I started feeling bad last night, but thought I bounced back pretty well this morning," Mahomes said after the game. "Just kind of tried to go out there, do whatever I can and play my best football."

In isolation, the performance isn't terribly troubling. Mahomes plays at a high level virtually every week and has single-handedly won games; everyone is entitled to a bad day. The fact that no one else could pick him up, though, is a bit concerning.

Kansas City ran the ball only 16 times for 62 yards. While head coach Andy Reid is never going to rely on his rushing attack, and the score played a role in the play-calling, that's still a disappointing showing against the NFL's worst run defense.

That forced Mahomes to make things happen, and, while he wasn't at his best, he didn't receive much help. No one, not even Travis Kelce, had more than six catches; no receiver broke the 60-yard mark, either.

And while this could be something of a "the chicken or the egg" situation—did the receivers struggle because Mahomes was off?—there were plenty of individual errors that could have turned the tide. Marquez Valdes-Scantling coughed up a fumble. Skyy Moore dropped a touchdown pass, leading to a turnover on downs rather than six points. Mecole Hardman muffed a punt, gifting Denver possession inside the red zone.

Add a gassed defense into the mix—Steve Spagnuolo's unit could barely get a breather in the second half—and that's the recipe for a disappointing divisional loss.

Chiefs Still Lack Secondary Option

Mahomes is the focal point of the offense, and when he has an off day, it's going to be tough. At the same time, though, the defeat in Denver does highlight something that has hung over the defending champs all season: the lack of a reliable option after Kelce, who has 54 catches for 583 yards and four touchdowns.

While the tight end is an all-world talent, football isn't a two-man game. Sometimes he'll be unable to play, like in Week 1. Other times he'll simply be unable to separate from the defenders. Or, as happened in Week 8, sometimes Mahomes will be the one floundering.

In that case, someone needs to step up and make a play. And, on Sunday, no one else did.

Thanks to their massive salary cap commitments to a few stars, Kansas City has assembled a wide receiver room consisting of players who have potential but don't always deliver. Moore and Rashee Rice are playing on their rookie deals, and while Rice seems to be growing into an impact player, relying on a first-year player to make an impact is risky. Valdes-Scantling can be a game-breaker, but those days are few and far between. Kadarius Toney and Hardman have speed to burn, but they're not going to take over a game and drag the Chiefs to victory.

Last season, JuJu Smith-Schuster (now with the New England Patriots) was more than capable of shouldering some of the load. He finished with 78 catches and 933 yards, even though he scored only three touchdowns.

In 2023, Rice has 30 catches for 361 yards and three scores through eight games, and has had to work through some rookie growing pains. Running back Isiah Pacheco is third on the team in receptions (24 for 160 yards and a touchdown, plus three rushing touchdowns), with Toney (19 for 109 yards and a touchdown) following. The team's other main wide receivers, Moore, Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson, have 14, 12 and 12 receptions, respectively, and none have 300 yards.

And while the roster can function when Mahomes and Kelce are at their best, the house of cards starts to wobble when they're not at their best. It's hard to take issue with the club's roster-building strategy—it's led to two Super Bowl titles—but no one can pretend that the receiving corps is elite.

Trade Deadline Complicates Matters

Kansas City can still make some changes to the receivers room, though. And, depending on your perspective, this loss may have come at a good or an awful time.

Those in the former camp will argue that the defeat came days before the trade deadline, providing a wake-up call. While a 6-2 record is still a strong start, K.C.'s offense hasn't exactly been humming along. Losing to Denver will underscore the tightrope the Chiefs are walking and can push general manager Brett Veach to make something happen.

Across the aisle, though, discretion rules the day. A loss may sting, but overreacting would set off an even more painful chain of events. If the club's brass panics and gives up some high-value draft picks for a receiver rental, that isn't ideal for long-term sustainability. It may paper over a crack for this season, but depth issues could still bubble back to the surface in the future.

For better or worse, though, the trade deadline finally arrives on October 31. At that point, we'll know if the Chiefs have decided to stick or twist.