Xavier Worthy’s Injury and Defensive Leaks Cloud Chiefs’ Title Hopes – Here’s How Kansas City Can Bounce Back

Mahomes’ first half against the Chargers was unusually flat, under 100 passing yards, and only two field goals on the board. After an extended halftime adjustment, he rebounded to finish 24-of-39 for 258 yards and one touchdown, plus six scrambles for 57 yards and another score [Next Gen Stats]. 

Four runs went for 10+ yards, a career-high, and he tied his career high with five first-down scrambles. The aggression was there, deep shots downfield, quicker tempo, but without Worthy and with Rashee Rice serving a six-game suspension, the explosive element Reid promised in camp never materialized.

Travis Kelce, meanwhile, looked leaner and more animated. After baiting Chargers DT Teair Tart into a slap, he drew a personal foul. His stat line was two catches, 47 yards, and one TD. This underscored how limited the passing game was without its full complement of targets.

Chiefs’ Defense Falters in Brazil Loss as Offense Struggles to Find Balance

When Kansas City won its last Super Bowl in the 2023 season, Steve Spagnuolo’s unit ranked among the league’s stingiest. On Friday, it looked anything but. Justin Herbert shredded the secondary for 318 passing yards (394 total), repeatedly exploiting offseason losses at cornerback. 

Spagnuolo resorted to heavy blitzing in the second half, but Chargers OC Greg Roman anticipated it and dialed up passes to ice the game. Kansas City could not get a single stop on Los Angeles’ final drive, letting the Chargers drain the clock and end another potential Mahomes comeback.

The ground game didn’t provide relief either. Isiah Pacheco, touted as stronger and quicker after last year’s fibula fracture, logged only five carries for 25 yards and two receptions for three yards, the exact carry count as Kareem Hunt. Playing from behind forced Reid to abandon balance early.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, now 6-0 in Week 1 games as an NFL head coach (NFL Research), showed how far Los Angeles has come in one offseason. With Keenan Allen re-signed in August and Quentin Johnston delivering two touchdown catches, Roman’s pass-first script kept Kansas City on its heels. Rookie Ladd McConkey added six grabs for 74 yards to round out a receiving corps that no longer looks thin.

The Chiefs now face an urgent recalibration. Worthy’s status is a multi-week concern, and without him, their deep-threat plan is on hold. Reid’s staff must patch the secondary and find ways to generate early leads so Pacheco can impact games. The dynasty isn’t dead after one loss, but the opener in Brazil highlighted how narrow Kansas City’s margin for error has become in 2025.

How Kansas City Can Regain Its 2023 Super Bowl Form Despite Early Setbacks

To bounce back, Kansas City must re-center around what worked during its last title run: complementary football. On offense, that means leaning into Mahomes’ improvisation and simplifying concepts to integrate backups until Xavier Worthy returns. Rashee Rice’s eventual reinstatement could restore the vertical threat, but until Andy Reid may have to feature more two-tight-end looks and scripted quick passes to Travis Kelce to sustain drives. 

Defensively, Steve Spagnuolo must tighten communication in the secondary and disguise blitzes more effectively instead of relying on volume pressure. If the Chiefs can clean up coverage busts and establish an early lead to let Isiah Pacheco control tempo, they can still look like the balanced powerhouse that won the 2023 Super Bowl even with key pieces missing.