(*1*) initially appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The motive for the Kansas City Chiefs‘ downfall in 2025 may very well be a number of issues.
Advertisement
Injuries on each side of the ball and bodily and psychological fatigue from persistently lengthy playoff journeys.
But there is likely to be yet one more that might have been an underrated motive the Chiefs had been stopped of their tracks.
Sack numbers.
MORE:Chiefs urged to remove $20 million headache this offseason
Patrick Mahomes was sacked 34 occasions (twelfth most) in 14 video games. Only three extra, and Patrick would have been sacked probably the most in his profession.
On the floor, that does not seem to be a giant deal, but when we dive into the numbers, we see precisely how unhealthy Patrick’s safety was.
Seven occasions he was sacked three or extra occasions. That means in half of his video games in 2025, Mahomes was operating for his life. Not to say that in seven of his final eight video games, he was sacked a minimum of thrice.
Advertisement
We know that success for the quarterback place depends on how lengthy he has to throw, and it’s clear that Mahomes was operating for his life far too typically.
MORE:Have Chiefs finally found long-term answer to most problematic position?
Is offensive line an pressing precedence this offseason?
It needs to be up there, proper?
Mahomes cannot be sacked that many occasions and be anticipated to maintain his group afloat.
So, whereas there are different urgent wants the Chiefs have to handle, the offensive line cannot be forgotten.
Mahomes was on observe to be the fourth-most-sacked quarterback in soccer earlier than his knee harm.
Advertisement
That has to vary in 2026; in any other case, it is likely to be one other yr of no playoffs for Kansas City.