Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers cause team trouble yet again. Veteran receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a crucial misstep toward the end of the Chiefs game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes dropped back on third down and heaved it toward Valdes-Scantling, but the ball was dropped. This led to a lengthy fourth-down attempt that ultimately resulted in a loss for the Chiefs.
“Guys that I've seen catch before didn't necessarily make the catch,” Reid said, per Tim McManus at ESPN. “These are good players and we are OK. We've just got to get that straight.”
The Chiefs have been plagued with receiving issues this entire season. They don't have a clearcut No. 1 wide receiver, which leads to inconsistent play for the offense. Mahomes may have a star tight end in Travis Kelce, but with substandard options in the receiving room, Kelce has been double-teamed on many occasions.
Kansas City had four dropped passes in the fourth quarter, three of which came on the final drive of the game. They had a season-high five dropped passes, which only adds to their league-leading stat. This has led to little opportunity in the second half of games, even when the Chiefs have to come from behind.
There's a level of trust that just isn't there with Mahomes and his receiving core, so a player like Isiah Pacheco has to carry the load on the ground from time to time. Mahomes has also tried to extend plays with his legs, but that isn't something the Chiefs should want to gamble with. They've had a league-low 53 second-half points, which is just mind-blowing for a team that had the most explosive offense in the league the past few years.
Reid and the Chiefs still have time to find an answer to this problem, but the clock is ticking. Kansas City has scored zero points in the second half over the past three weeks, so it's definitely becoming a bad habit that they need to address.