Back-to-back ugly losses inside the AFC West have backed the Kansas City Chiefs into a corner.
"We've stalled these last two weeks," coach Andy Reid said after Sunday night's 29-16 implosion against the Broncos, per The Kansas City Star.
Ten days after an embarrassing, nationally televised defeat to the hapless Oakland Raiders, Reid's run-happy Chiefs allowed Denver to rumble over them for 214 yards while squeezing out just 41 yards of their own on the ground.
"There were no positives out there," said tight end Travis Kelce.
The Chiefs still sit as the sixth seed in the AFC playoff race, but their 7-5 mark sinks them into a swamp with four other squads boasting identical records. The schedule ahead is no cakewalk for Reid's bunch, with games against the Cardinals, Steelers and Chargers.
Kansas City has impressed us for stretches this season with an active pass rush and a grind-it-out offense that relies on MVP candidateJamaal Charles to dial up big numbers week after week. Still, the lack of a downfield passing game makes this team a tough watch. As Chris Wesseling pointed out, Andrew Luck has generated more touchdowns on passes that traveled at least 20 yards through the air than Alex Smith has even *attempted *over the same distance this season.
On a night like Sunday -- when the Chiefs can't run or stop the run -- the team looks nothing like playoff material.
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