The Kansas City Chiefs are facing a bit of an issue with their receivers as they head into their Week 14 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. While the team still ranks fairly high in total yards and points scored, these are actually their lowest rankings in both categories since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018.
It’s a far cry from their number one rankings last year. Apart from tight end Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice, the other receivers have been inconsistent throughout the season. Unfortunately, with December already here, it’s unlikely that there will be any significant changes in personnel.
"There's a lack of chemistry between Patrick Mahomes and the receivers at this late day in Week 13."
— @Chris_Broussard on the Chiefs dropping to 8-4 after loss to Packers: pic.twitter.com/gYkEi5YCrG
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) December 4, 2023
When Mahomes was asked during a press conference if there was anything he could do to build more chemistry with his receivers, he responded: “You just come into work and try to get better, that’s all you can do. I think the guys have done a great job of trying to do that. We’re going to continue to get better.”
He acknowledged that they had some great moments in the last game but failed to execute in the red zone. In the NFL, it’s the little things that make the difference between winning and losing, so they will continue to focus on those details and strive for improvement.
🚨 NFL News Alert – Patrick Mahomes on WRs: I have a lot of trust in those guys, I see how hard they're working: The Chiefs have a receivers issue. https://t.co/OVGPqiVViI #BreakingNews #Sports #NFL pic.twitter.com/BFtcRxWkXG
— Brett Murphy (@bmurphypointman) December 7, 2023
Mahomes trusts in his receivers’ hard work
He mentioned that mentally, the receivers seem to be in a great spot and that he trusts them. He sees their dedication and hard work in the locker room. Despite their current struggles, the Chiefs are still leading the AFC West, and Mahomes believes that they have everything they need to succeed.
“For us, it’s about keeping it within the locker room – I mean we’re still sitting there atop the AFC West, and I think a lot of the stuff is out in front of us we just have to go out there and capitalize on it. I think if we can start this week with a great week of practice and try to beat a really good football team, the Buffalo Bills – it’s kind of like next week, we’ll be talking about how great we are. It’s kind of how the NFL works.”
While Mahomes is undoubtedly a great quarterback, the receivers will need to step up and become more consistent in the remaining five weeks of the season if the Chiefs want to make a deep run in the postseason.
