Mahomes and a faltering dynasty: why Chiefs’ game vs Giants could be defining
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs must win Sunday against the Giants in New York to avoid falling to 0-3.
The Kansas City Chiefs are reeling after back-to-back losses, marking the first 0-2 start of the Patrick Mahomes era. A Sunday night defeat to the New York Giants would be catastrophic for Andy Reid’s team.
The aura of invincibility is fading. Last week’s clash with the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead ended in defeat, and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Chargers, had already shown that Mahomes can be rattled – even if his individual numbers remain strong through the opening two weeks.
Since 1970, only 43 of 422 teams that opened 0-2 have made the playoffs – a meager 10%. Yet there is still hope. Just last season, three franchises – the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens – turned 0-2 starts into postseason berths.
For Kansas City, though, a playoff spot isn’t enough. The Chiefs have built a dynasty on Super Bowl expectations. History is against them: only three teams have ever rebounded from an 0-2 start to win it all – the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, the 2001 New England Patriots and the 2007 New York Giants.
Must-win against the Giants
The Chiefs cannot afford to stumble on Sunday night against New York, especially with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens due at Arrowhead the following week.
Falling to 0-3 would almost certainly spell disaster. Since 1990, only four teams have reached the postseason after such a start – the 1992 Chargers, 1995 Lions, 1998 Bills and 2018 Texans.
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