National Football League

Carrying the Load

Updated Oct. 13, 2020 3:12 p.m. ET

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 13-game win streak, the longest in franchise history, was snapped on Sunday, when oddly enough, Patrick Mahomes wasn't able to conjure his usual comeback magic.

The defending champions hadn't lost since Nov. 10, 2019, after the Tennessee Titans pulled off a late fourth quarter comeback win.

However, the loss on Sunday looked very different, as the Las Vegas Raiders pulled away decisively in the second half, with LV scoring 16 consecutive points in the final frame.

Mahomes finished the day completing just 52.1 percent of his passes for 340 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. He also added 21 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown.

But Mahomes' numbers don't tell the full story, as the majority of his yards came after Las Vegas seemed to be in full control, holding a 40-24 lead with a little over five minutes to play.

Following the upset, Mahomes ended his postgame press conference commenting on the offense’s reliance on “crazy plays” to keep drives moving, especially on third down.

Which raises the question: Are the Chiefs asking Mahomes to do too much?

ESPN NFL analyst and former quarterback Dan Orlovsky argues yes, citing the fact that the franchise has grown too comfortable with Mahomes saving the day.

"The reality is, yes – they've become too dependent on Patrick Mahomes. Patrick makes these inexplicable plays, and they've just become so reliant on that."

On Sunday, Mahomes often had to extend plays, as the Chiefs’ offensive line crumbled as the game progressed, and receivers couldn’t escape the continued pressure of the Raiders’ secondary.

The Raiders tallied three sacks from Nevin Lawson, Chris Smith and Maxx Crosby, with Crosby's coming on a critical third down possession.

In addition, Las Vegas pressured Mahomes on 57 percent of his dropbacks, the second-highest pressure rate of Mahomes' career.

However, FOX Sports analyst Brandon Marshall doesn't credit the Raiders defense for Mahomes' disappointing performance.

"It's not about the defense. It's about Patrick Mahomes ... He had no clue what was going on. Where he [Mahomes] needs to develop is when teams understand who you are, you've got to be able to deal with that mentally and physically."

To make matters worse, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who had never won at Arrowhead Stadium in his seven-year career until Sunday, torched the Chiefs, completing 70.9 percent of his passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns.

Carr completed three of his four deep attempts for 177 yards and two touchdowns before halftime. His 177 deep-passing yards were more than he had in a game in the last five seasons.

FOX Sports analyst Kevin Wildes explains that Carr merely illuminated the idea that the Chiefs aren't as dominant as everyone thinks.

"If there was a capable quarterback in there, the Chiefs were going to lose."

It might spell trouble ahead, as Kansas City's next opponent is a 4-0 Buffalo Bills team, led by a gunslinger in his own right, quarterback Josh Allen.

The AFC matchup is set for Monday, October 19 at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports.

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