Things continue to tense up for the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs as they take on the Indianapolis Colts in an all-important AFC battle with major playoff implications. The Super Bowl 2025 runner-up has failed to live up to its championship favorite billing, sitting third in the AFC West with a disappointing 5-5 record. Analyzing this fall from grace, former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has highlighted what may be going wrong with his former team.

During an appearance on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, Smith emphasized that the Kansas offense has appeared one-dimensional. He recalled how, under head coach Andy Reid, the offense routinely featured easy, schemed plays designed to keep the quarterback in rhythm, and now argues that same structure has vanished. He said,

“I’ll never forget when I got there, Andy and this offense so often… There were always like six to eight just gimme throws that were built into the offense that he got open, right? I didn’t really have to do anything as a quarterback. I just don’t see that anymore. They rely way too much on Patrick (Mahomes) creating offense, doing so many things out of rhythm. I want to see them get back to manufacturing some of these plays.”

Kansas City’s offense hasn’t delivered through the first ten games of the season, as the team is averaging just 25.4 points per game. They rank 9th in third-down conversions and have been 0‑5 in one-score games, unlike last season. Further, their turnover margin sits at +3, with Mahomes throwing six interceptions.

Alex Smith also issued a warning to the Chiefs’ offense about avoiding basic mistakes, which was the case against the Denver Broncos, as their season could soon be in jeopardy.

“They had ten offensive penalties (against the Broncos). They were not very good situationally and bad in the red zone. They missed long, deep balls down the field, and they’ve got to get these things cleaned up.”

With these offensive concerns, there’s also speculation about tensions flaring up between Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, based on Chiefs QB1’s recent comments.

Did Patrick Mahomes throw shade at Andy Reid?

As the Kansas City Chiefs prepared for their Week 12 matchup against the Colts, Patrick Mahomes praised the Indianapolis defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo. While addressing the media, the Chiefs QB1 highlighted how Anarumo aptly adapts to the opposition while maximizing his players in the process.

“Coach Anarumo is a great defensive coordinator and a great coach…” Mahomes said. “I think what makes him such a great defensive coordinator is he tailors his scheme to the team that he’s playing with. He wants to go with their strengths and getting guys in position to succeed, and even from some of the trades they’ve made, they’ve adjusted their defense as well.”

But as Mahomes ended his answer, it seemed like he took a sly jibe at Andy Reid and his coaching staff.

“That’s something that makes him a great coach, is that he’s not stuck in his ways of how he calls a game,” Patrick Mahomes concluded, as reported by Newsweek.

Under Anarumo, the Colts’ defense has been impressive, ranking ninth in points allowed per game, 12th in yards per rush, and 10th in opponent yards per pass attempt. But looking at these comments from the Chiefs’ perspective, are these the first cracks in the Kansas City dynasty? Especially with their playoff hopes dwindling with every disappointing performance.