If the Kansas City Chiefs' matchup against the red-hot Tennessee Titans this past weekend was considered a litmus test, they failed it... miserably.
For the second time this season, the reigning AFC champions took a beating, as their alarming issues on offense and defense reemerged in a 27-3 blowout loss to the Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. The Chiefs' three points were the fewest scored in a game during the Patrick Mahomes era.
"The biggest thing -- and this is something that's really been lost at times in the NFL the last five years when we see teams go backwards -- is physicality," former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer told The DA Show on Monday morning. "To be consistent offensively and balance everything out, you need to have a level of physicality, and the Chiefs have lost that. They don't have physicality offensively, they're not as physical defensively.
"They've very little knock-back in them... You just can't be as consistent, and when you're not as consistent, when you're not dictating terms offensively, you end up turning the ball over more, because you play frenetically. I've watched all but one of their games this year, and that's the biggest thing that sticks out to me. The lack of physicality and the frenetic style of offense that comes with that..."
The Chiefs weren't given any time to find a rhythm -- they allowed the Titans to score on their first five possessions, resulting in a commanding 27-0 lead at halftime. Not only did Mahomes finish with 206 passing yards and extend his streak of games with a turnover to a career-high six, but he also exited the fourth quarter after his helmet collided with a Titans defender. Mahomes did clear concussion protocol, and isn't expected to miss a game.
Although the Chiefs' offense ranks top-10 in average points and yards through seven games, their turnover differential (minus-10) currently ranks dead last in the NFL. And to make matters worse, Kansas City's defensive unit ranks 30th in total yards allowed, 28th in average yards, and 27th in average points.
Kansas City (3-4) will host the New York Giants (2-5) in a Week 8 matchup on Monday, Nov. 1. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Chiefs have a 43-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 15-percent chance to win the AFC West.
The entire NFL conversation between Dilfer and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
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