Opinion: No more 'rainbows and flowers': Chiefs' issues go deeper than Patrick Mahomes' struggles

NASHVILLE – On a day when the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t come close to matching up (again) against a legitimate AFC contender, the good news was that it wasn’t worse for Patrick Mahomes.

If you saw the hit in the fourth quarter that knocked the star quarterback out of the game, you had to wonder. Mahomes was whipped to the turf by Denico Autry as he tried to simultaneously wiggle away and throw a desperate pass, then at the last instant, was waylaid with a knee to the head from Jeffery Simmons. It left Mahomes flat on his back and woozy. Two teammates helped their comrade walk to the sideline, where he went straight into the tent to be evaluated for a concussion.

Mahomes’ final play was quite the metaphor for the Chiefs’ visit to Nissan Stadium, where they were twisted, bullied, smacked down and run roughshod over during a 27-3 smashing from the Tennessee Titans. It was that ugly.

That Mahomes cleared concussion protocol was indeed a positive.

“I feel fine now,” Mahomes told reporters. He insisted that he had full memory of that last play – as much as he may have wanted to forget it – and explained that because it was fourth down, he was desperate to make a play.

It’s a good thing Andy Reid threw in the white towel on the next series and inserted backup Chad Henne to mop up the game. I mean, there’s always next week. Then again, the way this season has been flowing for the last-place Chiefs (3-4), next week could be another disaster. For the second time in three weeks, the Chiefs were blown out by a team they might have to play again in January if they have a legit shot to make it to a third consecutive Super Bowl … which looks very unlikely about now.

In Week 5, the Chiefs were punked by Buffalo. Sunday, they were slapped down by the Titans.

“You’re embarrassed,” Mahomes said of the mood. “You just got spanked pretty good. You’re coming in here trying to build off momentum from the week before (with a victory at Washington) and we didn’t do that. It’s just trying to find a way to get better next week.”

At least Mahomes was lucid enough to try to figure it all out. Granted, Mahomes’ struggles – he had two more turnovers on Sunday, didn’t lead the team to the end zone and posted a 62.3 passer rating – are part of a bigger picture.

BRUTAL SACK: Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes leaves Titans game in fourth quarter

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Have you seen the Chiefs’ defense? If you’re an opposing offense, you don’t want to miss that crew. The Titans (5-2) scored on each and every possession in the first half, five in all, to build the 27-0 halftime lead that essentially finished the game. That wasn’t so much on the quarterback, although Mahomes didn’t help his defense with his turnovers.

The second giveaway was especially haunting as Mahomes rehashed it. It was a fumble on what might have been a last-minute drive to put points on the board before intermission. He bolted from the pocket, scampered past the first-down stick, then … oops. Kevin Byard poked the football loose.

Mahomes knows better. He should have avoided danger and slid.

“Why did I even have to go for two yards?” he bemoaned. “Just little things like that add up.”

The turnovers are undoubtedly a problem. Mahomes has thrown a pick in six consecutive games and left Nissan Stadium tied with Jets rookie Zach Wilson for the dubious NFL lead with nine interceptions. He admitted that he found himself pressing early in the game. Reid sensed it, too, saying, “He’s trying to make things happen … (but) we’re all part of this.”

Pressing probably just comes with the territory with Mahomes, who has done so many amazing things, including winning a Super Bowl and league MVP honors, since bursting onto the NFL scene. But greatness is still about process, which is where Mahomes has seemingly run into some trouble.

“I don’t know what prompted it,” Mahomes said. “In this league, you’ve kind of got to let things develop. It takes one play at a time. You can’t have like a 14-point play.”

Now, we know the Chiefs and their explosive offense can strike fast and have proven in recent years that early leads are not safe against them. But that’s no way to make a living in the NFL.

Of course, Mahomes is always game, no matter the score or circumstances.

“At the end of the day, I want to win,” he said. “So I try to do whatever I can to win.”

But some days, the rhythm and flow are not clicking. There were a few throws on Sunday that you don’t often see from Mahomes. In one case, he had a wide-open Jerick McKinnon in the left flat, and he short-armed the throw into the dirt. Another time, it was a wide-open Travis Kelce down a seam, and he put too much starch on the football and overthrew the tight end.

Mahomes will see that when he reviews the video, and undoubtedly he will collaborate with the Chiefs coaching brainpower to seek answers.

“It’s kind of been one thing here and there every week,” he said. “It isn’t one over-arching thing. Today, it was probably me, just pressing a little bit early in the game … I’ve just got to be better early in the games, so that we don’t get behind like we did early today.”

With that, he was acknowledging another problem pattern for KC. In Week 2, they trailed the Chargers 14-3 at the half. Against Buffalo in Week 5, they were down 24-10 in the second quarter, then 31-13 in the third. Before beating Cleveland in Week 1, they were down 15-3.

The other side of the pattern is that the Chiefs have run out of some comeback mojo this season. With Mahomes pressing and the defense prone to sputter at times, living on the edge has run its course. The results lately, including Sunday, have left the defending AFC champs in a state of shock.

“But we have a lot of leaders on this team,” Mahomes said. “We have to find a way. I trust that we’ll find it. That’s part of what great teams are, being able to battle through adversity.

“It’s been kind of rainbows and flowers and awesome these past few years, but whenever you want to build something substantial and you want to build something great, you’re going to go through points like this.”

Whether they survive it, though, is hardly a given.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patrick Mahomes' struggles are only part of a troubling Chiefs picture