The Kansas City Chiefs pulled out their seventh consecutive win when they defeated the Miami Dolphins 21-14 in Germany this past weekend. Even with the win, the Chiefs didn't look incredible. This Chiefs team certainly doesn't look like the same squad who has made five consecutive AFC Championship Games and led the NFL in offense two out of the past three years.

And that's because they're not. This Chiefs team is a defensive team at the moment, a defensive team who happens to have the best quarterback in the NFL. Their offense is not bad by any means. In fact, it ranks seventh in total yards and third in passing yards. But, it's not up to their normal standard.

The good news is, their defense has stepped up. Cornerback Trent McDuffie has been great in his second season, and forced a fumble against Tyreek Hill that led to a wild lateral touchdown. They held the Dolphins' No. 1 offense to zero points in the first half and just 14 the entire game. On the whole season, they rank fourth in total yards and passing yards allowed as well as second in points given up per game.

So with the defense leading the team, how can the Chiefs improve offensively? Let's take a look.

Chiefs Passing Attack

On the first couple of drives, the Chiefs' offense looked like their normal selves. Mahomes and his weapons drove down the field easily and completed quick passes leading to Rashee Rice scoring the first touchdown. The next scoring drive was more or less the same as Jerick McKinnon took a short pass into the end zone practically untouched.

However, the rest of the game, the Chiefs offense put up zero points. This Chiefs offense is not consistent or high-powered like its been in previous years. While Mahomes is still Mahomes, the magic and spark is not quite there like it has been with Tyreek Hill or even last season.

The Chiefs also lack a deep passing game with this set of weapons. Mahomes' primary weapon is Travis Kelce who is mainly an intermediate threat. At this point, Marquez Valedes-Scantling is the main threat to go downfield, but he is unable to haul in deep passes as consistently as previous receivers like Hill. The Chiefs have a lot of receivers, but few standouts or bonafide threats that can consistently challenge outside of Kelce.

On the bright side, there are some improvements in the Chiefs' passing game. Several weapons like Rashee Rice are becoming more involved on the offense and the screen game with Jerick McKinnon is successful. This passing attack may not be the one fans are accustomed to in the Patrick Mahomes era, but it is one that can still win so long as the defense keeps playing this way.

Chiefs Running Game

The Kansas City running game isn't a bigger concern primarily because the Chiefs have never relied on a strong rushing attack with Mahomes at quarterback. However, with the passing attack not at its strongest, it would be nice to have a complementary piece on the offense to turn to.

On the season, Isiah Pacheco has rushed for 525 yards and three touchdowns on 124 carries with an average of 4.2 yards per carry. His stats aren't bad, but he seldom gets many carries. He's only recorded 20 carries in one game back in Week 4 when he had 20 carries for 115 yards. It wouldn't hurt to give Pacheco more chances, especially on days when the passing game isn't rolling.

Turnovers

The other area the Chiefs can fumble away games or cost themselves wins is through turnovers. A normally disciplined team, Kansas City is tied for second in the NFL with 17 giveaways. They're also tied for the sixth-worst turnover differential at -4.

Mahomes is tied for the second most interceptions on the season with eight. It's not a huge concern for the Chiefs since he makes enough plays to overcome them, but they could backfire if he keeps making those kinds of plays come postseason.

Conclusion

The offense has some concerns, but overall Chiefs fans have it good. Despite these “struggles,” the Chiefs are still 7-2 and one of their losses came when Patrick Mahomes had the flu. They may not be the Chiefs we've come to known, but they're still among the top contenders.