Chiefs Need Win at Denver to Avoid Dubious Distinction

“We've had great moments, we've had bad moments,” Patrick Mahomes said after the 28-21 loss at Buffalo last week. “We got to be more consistent as a team. I got to be more consistent as a quarterback, and we got to be able to battle.

“I mean, we've kind of been in a lot of these tight, close games in our history, but they're not going our way now. So how can we deal with that adversity? How can we be better and learn from it? I mean, you only learn from so many losses. I mean, you got to kind of learn from it fast, and it’s gonna be an uphill battle when we get back, but I think our guys are up to it.”

Brutal November schedule

Hopefully, because when the Chiefs get back, they get two of the three best teams in the AFC – in consecutive fashion. After a showdown in Denver (8-2) against the team with the NFL’s best record, Kansas City gets to host Indianapolis (7-2) on Nov. 23. The only other NFL team entering Sunday with a record at least as good as the Colts is the upstart Patriots, also 7-2.

And aliens may have abducted the Chiefs this offseason. There isn’t really a better way to explain how an NFL team can establish a league record with 17 consecutive victories in one-score games, then lose four straight to begin the ensuing season.

The unexplained

In paranormal fashion, all four of the Chiefs’ losses this year – 27-21 in Brazil against the Chargers, 20-17 in Week 2 against the Eagles, 31-28 at Jacksonville in Week 5 and 28-21 at Buffalo last week – have been by seven points or less. Meanwhile, they’re 5-0 in blowouts.

And at Denver in Week 11, should they lose another one-score game, the Chiefs would establish their first five-game losing streak in those games since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018. According to analyst Scott Kacsmar, Mahomes is 55-25 (.688) in close games over his career, but has never dropped five straight.

“Obviously, it's the bye week,” Travis Kelce said on Wednesday’s edition of New Heights, “so I'm kind of looking at everything. Like, I've taken a step back and kind of looked at the whole scheme of things. And yeah, it's frustrating, man. I mean, 5-4, a little over .500 right now, out of the playoffs, if the playoffs started right now.

“We gotta get this sh** going, man. And to see the schedule, it doesn't get much easier. Our next three opponents are absolutely on fire, two of which are the Broncos, who we have coming up after the bye, and then the Colts after that. So, we got to get things rolling, man.”

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