Patrick Mahomes’ mentor admits ‘it’s major panic time’ for Chiefs as Andy Reid struggles laid bare

Patrick Mahomes is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time as a starter.

The Kansas City Chiefs have won the AFC West nine times in a row — a streak that goes back to previous quarterback Alex Smith’s time.

Just making the postseason will be a struggle in 2025 after a Thanksgiving loss to the Dallas Cowboys that saw the Chiefs fall to 15th in talkSPORT’s power rankings.

Smith, who joined ESPN after a brutal injury ended his career, thinks his replacement is in a massive hole.

“It’s major panic time,” he said. “I thought Patrick said it brilliantly. They can beat anybody. They can lose to anybody as well. And they got to win out.

“They got the Texans this next weekend, the best defense in the NFL. Their margin of error is so small. And for me, this is the thing that sticks out, the defense… cannot get off the field on third down.

“It used to be elite. Chris Jones is obviously a game changer. They’re 28th in the NFL this year on third down. Since Week 8, they’re dead last on third down as a defense.”

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo clearly has work to do.

But head coach Andy Reid‘s offensive unit isn’t pulling its weight either.

“Offense is converting 52 percent of the time, that’s crazy,” added Smith.

Patrick Mahomes hailed Alex Smith’s influence

Reid’s Chiefs traded up to select Mahomes tenth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Texas Tech product sat behind Smith for his rookie season — earning his first start in a Week 17 dead rubber against the Denver Broncos.

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Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers both learned their craft from the bench and Mahomes clearly picked up a lot on the sidelines.

“He was extremely important,” Mahomes said of Smith’s impact on his development. “The way he went about his business and being a pro’s pro, a great quarterback and also a great human being.

“He taught me a ton of just the process and how to blueprint your week and how to game plan. And then, how to read coverages by the little things.

“Maybe how the defensive line lines up and I think it helped me out a lot in the early part of my career, even still to this day of being able to get those invaluable lessons from him.”

Mahomes will need to put everything he picked up from Reid, Smith and his own career into action as the Chiefs look to avoid an unprecedented early finish just months after bidding for a Super Bowl three-peat.

All good things come to an end, but doubt the Chiefs at your peril.

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