The Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes are no strangers to high-stakes, season-defining games. They just usually take place in January for them, not in week 6. Their last week’s sloppy finish against the Jacksonville Jaguars landed them in dangerous territory. Another defeat would drop them to 2-4, a completely different universe compared to their last year’s 12-0 record. But here they are heading into a crucial Sunday matchup against the red-hot Detroit Lions.

Last week’s loss to the Jaguars signalled to the Chiefs that the season can be in jeopardy due to self-inflicted wounds and costly mistakes. Kansas City was flagged 13 times for 109 yards, a season high for them. Head coach Andy Reid received an eye-opener from experts. “I think this team lacks the urgency they need, the urgency that they had earlier in their career. I think that the Chiefs had that we’ll be fine, like we’ll get, I don’t have to make that play now,” Danny Kanell said on CBS Sports. The play from Chris Jones definitely rings true here, with his indifference towards the Lawrence stumble.

“I still look at this team. I don’t think they’re a Super Bowl contender. I think they’ll still be a playoff team, but I don’t look at them as a Super Bowl contender.”

To save their identity as a top-tier franchise, they would have to stop handing opponents the extra chances. The pass rush, once a pride, has been one of the biggest disappointments. The Chiefs’ four-man rush ranks 24th in win rate (37%); they are beating blocks within 2.5 seconds far too rarely.

Coming to the special teams, the NFL’s highest-paid kicker, Harrison Butker, has struggled to stay sharp. He’s already missed three field goals and two extra points. As if that weren’t enough, Mahomes’ lone mistake of the Jags game turned into a 14-point swing. He threw a 3-yard pass when linebacker Devin Lloyd jumped in for a pick-six.

This wasn’t the start Patrick Mahomes or the Chiefs had been expecting. Monday night’s heartbreaking loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars was another blow to the three-time Super Bowl winner.

Patrick Mahomes expresses disappointment after consecutive losses

Kansas looked in complete control early, jumping to a 14-0 lead in the first half and maintaining momentum into the third quarter. After Lloyd intercepted Patrick Mahomes for the pick-six and Trevor Lawrence’s late-game goal-line turnover, it was back-to-back gut punches for the Chiefs.

It’s only the second time in Mahomes’ era that Kansas City has started 2-3. The last time it happened was in 2021, but then they managed to fight their way to the AFC Championship game. But now Mahomes is well aware that the margin of error is shrinking.

“It kinda just talks about our entire season,” Mahomes said after the game. “We have the guys and we’ve executed at certain points in games and looked really good, but we kinda crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes and interceptions and fumbles. We’ve done that to ourselves all season long. We’ve got to be better. We’ve lost too many games already. We gotta find a way to be better as a team.”

Even after an impressive quarterback performance in the 2025 season with 1,257 yards, 8 touchdowns, and a QBR of 75, it just isn’t enough. The Chiefs now stand third in the AFC West after their latest setback. After three straight Super Bowl appearances, Kansas City is still searching for its true identity, and the road doesn’t seem to get any smoother for them. Week 6 will be rough for them as they host the powerhouse Detroit.