Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of problems, but how many are fixable? – Kansas City Chiefs Blog

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Much has gone wrong for the Kansas City Chiefs during this unexpected 2021 NFL season. After a 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday dropped them to 3-4, their chances for a fourth straight trip to the AFC Championship Game or a third straight berth in the Super Bowl appear remote.

What’s happened? Here are some of the things that are ailing the Chiefs:

It’s not business as usual for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has at least one turnover in each of the past six games and multiple turnovers in each of the past three. Some of his interceptions have come on passes deflected by a Chiefs receiver, but Mahomes is hardly blameless. He’s tried to force passes into coverage and has thrown interceptions instead of merely trying to avoid a sack. Mahomes said after a game against the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago that he would reevaluate his decision-making process in light of the turnovers. If he has, it hasn’t shown. Against the Titans on Sunday, he posted a 6.1 QBR, by far the lowest of his career. His previous low was a 37.4 in Week 7 last season against the Broncos. Is this fixable? Mahomes entered the season with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of almost 5-to-1. He hasn’t been turnover-prone during his career, so he is capable of being more secure with the ball. He has to quit forcing throws, something he might not do given how quickly the Chiefs’ defense gives up points, though.

The Chiefs have a talent shortage on defense: Since rebuilding their defense following the 2018 season, the Chiefs have invested mainly in offensive players. Their first-round draft pick in 2020 was a running back, Clyde Edwards-Helaire. They traded their 2021 first-round pick for an offensive tackle, Orlando Brown. Their big-money free-agent signing this year was a guard, Joe Thuney. In all,…