Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) fumbles the ball as he is hit by Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler (69) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl repeat aspirations dwindling for Chiefs

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 26, 2023 11:50 AM ET

It's apparent the Kansas City Chiefs are no longer among the Super Bowl favorites following Monday's stunning upset loss versus the Las Vegas Raiders.

"The Chiefs are the most beatable they've been with Patrick Mahomes as their quarterback," ESPN analyst and former NFL QB Robert Griffin III said on ESPN's "Get Up." "They have to stop chasing expectations. We're used to the Chiefs being a high-flying offense. That's not the reality this year."

In Monday's 20-14 loss, the Raiders (7-8) had two defensive TDs, and Mahomes never found his mojo. He completed 27-of-44 passes for 235 yards, one TD, one interception and a 73.6 passer rating, his second-lowest mark this season.

BIG MAN TUDDY!!!!#LVvsKC | CBS pic.twitter.com/JZ9ma56Pyc
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 25, 2023

The Raiders — who surrender the eighth-fewest points per game (19.6) — deserve credit for an excellent defensive performance, but the loss proves Kansas City has glaring issues on offense. The Chiefs (9-6) have lost two of their last three games and rank 24th in the league in points per game (19.3) during that span.

The Chiefs have been eliminated from contention for the No. 1 seed and bye in the AFC pic.twitter.com/pNwDMWma3O
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) December 25, 2023

"You see glimpses of us moving the football. You see glimpses of us scoring in the red zone. It's just we haven't consistently done it enough game in and game out at this end of the season," Mahomes said in a postgame news conference. "We kind of had one good game, one bad game, one good game, one bad game, but we have to be more consistent because when you get to the playoffs you have to string some together."

Despite Mahomes' optimism, it's unlikely that Kansas City will suddenly solve its problems before the playoffs and win its third title in five years. As of Tuesday, oddschecker gives the Chiefs the AFC's third-best Super Bowl odds (+900) behind the Miami Dolphins (11-4) and Baltimore Ravens (12-3).

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: