The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in unfamiliar territory as the season reaches its latter stages, sitting at 5-5 and outside the current AFC playoff picture. After nine straight AFC West titles, the franchise is now fighting uphill just to earn a wild-card spot. A 22-19 loss to the Denver Broncos only added to the concerns, with the defeat dropping Kansas City to ninth place in the conference and one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final postseason berth.
In light of the team’s struggles, Bill Simmons has begun directing criticism toward quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ overall execution.
Bill Simmons Discusses Patrick Mahomes’ Performance, Chiefs’ Playoff Hopes
On his podcast and YouTube channel on Monday, Simmons assessed where Kansas City was struggling. He placed much of the blame on Patrick Mahomes, arguing that the former MVP is no longer playing at the elite level that once insulated the Chiefs from adversity.
He pointed to a red-zone interception thrown by Mahomes to Denver Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian.
“It was a huge game for Kansas City, so they wanted to finish 5-5,” Simmons said. “They’re 5-5. It’s nuts. I just don’t think he’s playing that well. … That interception he threw today was like a scrub quarterback interception. … You can’t blame it on the weapons because he has good weapons. These guys are, I think, good receivers.
“He certainly has better receivers than Buffalo does. I don’t think their offensive line is that good. They just don’t look right to me, and I think they are running out of time here. Mahomes needs to be Mahomes again. If it’s gonna be whatever this version is, they’re not doing jack s**t.”
“Mahomes needs to be Mahomes again.”@BillSimmons isn’t liking what he’s seeing from Patrick Mahomes and the 5-5 Chiefs this season. pic.twitter.com/JGn9X2hXON
— The Ringer (@ringer) November 17, 2025
Mahomes completed 29 of 45 passes for 276 yards with one touchdown and one interception, finishing with a 64.4% completion rate — just below his season average — and matching his season-low 6.1 yards per attempt. According to the PFSN QB Impact metric, Mahomes has a score of 80.2 with a B- grade. He ranks 12th among all quarterbacks this season.
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The Chiefs also came away with only one touchdown on four red-zone trips. The QB acknowledged the offensive inconsistencies after the game.
“I think we have a lot of talent and a lot of great players, but it’s about being more consistent,” Mahomes said during Sunday’s postgame press conference.
Meanwhile, rookie Bo Nix was a cornerstone of Denver’s offense, completing 24 of 37 passes for 295 yards and orchestrating the winning drive as the Broncos prevailed.
