Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes shoulders blame for early WR struggles
To the naked eye, the Kansas City Chiefs haven't exactly had the best wide receiver production to start the 2023 NFL season. But is that really the full story here? During Wednesday's media availability, KLKC Radio's Darren Smith asked the tough questions about the current wide receiver concerns in Kansas City through the first four […]
To the naked eye, the Kansas City Chiefs haven't exactly had the best wide receiver production to start the 2023 NFL season. But is that really the full story here?
During Wednesday's media availability, KLKC Radio's Darren Smith asked the tough questions about the current wide receiver concerns in Kansas City through the first four weeks of the season. Asking Patrick Mahomes about the situation, he fell on his own sword, blaming himself for any perceived struggles from his teammates.
“I just haven’t played very good to start the season," Mahomes said. "So, I think if I start playing better, everybody will start playing better.”
While there is an element of truth to that, Mahomes isn't exactly playing poorly. He's still pacing like a top-10 quarterback in the league. That response is exactly what you want your leaders to say.
Asked about the production of the receivers to this point of the season, Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke about the youthfulness of the players they have at the position.
“We have a couple young guys we’re kind of bringing along," Reid said. "But I think they’re doing a pretty good job, yeah.”
He added that the team is rotating many players in and out. He's seen the tape and he knows that players are getting open. It doesn't exactly match up with what the fans are seeing and feeling.
So, why aren't Mahomes and Reid treating this like a five-alarm fire? Well, it's practically identical if you look at the wide receiver production through the first four weeks of the past two seasons. In fact, Chiefs receivers have more receptions (74) and yards (588) in the first four weeks of 2023 than they did in the first four weeks of last season.
The big difference is really what Reid mentioned about their wide receiver rotation. Last season, JuJu Smith-Schuster emerged as a clear No. 2 option to Travis Kelce right away. They'd hoped that Kadarius Toney could be that guy, but he's been hampered by injuries. This time around, it's very much a by-committee approach as they bring players like Rashee Rice, Justyn Ross, and now Montrell Washington up to speed.
While the Chiefs Kingdom is clearly looking for a certain level of instant gratification, Reid knows that this is a marathon and not a sprint. The group might not look quite so impressive now, but they're building in the right direction. All it's going to take is time and patience.
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