KANSAS CITY, Mo. — He walked back to the locker room by himself late Monday night, through the long tunnel featuring the Kansas City Chiefs’ biggest accomplishments — the many banners celebrating divisional crowns, AFC championships and Super Bowls.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Chiefs’ oldest receiver at 29, said only one word, a four-letter expletive. He used his helmet to display his frustration, triggering a sharp, loud noise when he slammed it against a wall. Then Valdes-Scantling bowed his head, his walk to the locker room still requiring several more steps.
A few moments earlier, Valdes-Scantling had an opportunity to help his teammates leave Arrowhead Stadium with a come-from-behind victory, one that would’ve alleviated a dreadful second half for the Chiefs offense. Sprinting toward the end zone and away from the last defender for the Philadelphia Eagles, cornerback Bradley Roby, Valdes-Scantling watched the ball, which was released in a perfect deep pass by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, reach his hands. Three seconds later, after falling to the turf, Valdes-Scantling watched the ball roll away from him and heard a sound no receiver wants to hear when in the end zone: The groan of the home crowd.
Instead of having a heroic moment, Valdes-Scantling’s drop with less than two minutes left encapsulated another second-half offensive collapse by the Chiefs, another 30-minute stretch of failure, this time leading to a 21-17 loss.
Many fans inside Arrowhead Stadium — on a night when the weather continued to switch from drizzle to rain and back to drizzle — had the same reaction as Mahomes after the play: their hands on their head, their mouth agape in disbelief.
“We’ve got to find a way to finish games offensively,” Mahomes said.
As the NFL’s reigning champions, the Chiefs have Andy Reid, a future Hall of Fame coach known for his offensive innovations, and Mahomes, the league’s most talented quarterback. And yet after 10 games, the Chiefs’ biggest issue is clearly their offense. In one of the league’s biggest marquee matchups of the season, a rematch of Super Bowl LVII — and perhaps a preview of Super Bowl LVIII — the Chiefs offense committed mistake after mistake after mistake, scoring zero points after halftime. Monday’s loss solidified an embarrassing and worrying trend: The Chiefs haven’t scored in the second half in their past three games.
“We’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” Reid said. “I’ve got to do a better job helping out with that. My guys have got to do the same thing. We’re just not as sharp. I could put the guys in better spots.”
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Before Monday’s game, the Chiefs were averaging 23.1 points. But Monday’s game was supposed to be a turning point for the offense, an opportunity for the unit to reestablish itself as one of the most productive in the league. Every member of the offense was a full participant in every practice in the week leading up to facing the Eagles (9-1). The Chiefs (7-3) were coming off a bye week, too, a scenario in which Reid, before Monday, had an excellent 27-4 record, including 5-0 with Mahomes as the starter.
Utilizing a sizable amount of new plays they hadn’t shown on film this season, the Chiefs scored 17 points before halftime, executing their last two drives of the second quarter to perfection.
In the third quarter, the Chiefs had two drives to create more of a cushion after building a 10-point lead.
“I don’t think it’s an energy or focus thing,” receiver Justin Watson said of the offense’s struggles. “It’s just unforced errors that we have to correct.”
Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy leaned on Mahomes in the second half, as the coaches, in a collaborative effort, called just nine designed running plays. In 28 dropbacks, Mahomes completed just 14 of his attempts in the second half for 99 yards.
Mahomes failed to connect on four deep passes to his receivers, three of which featured the receiver — Valdes-Scantling or Watson — ahead of the Eagles’ last defender. When the Chiefs did get inside the red zone, star tight end Travis Kelce fumbled the ball. While the Eagles celebrated, Kelce punched the turf with his right fist after the team’s 19th giveaway of the season, tied for the third most in the league.
Five players pushed the offense backward by committing a penalty, too.
“I’ve got to be better,” Kelce said. “I’m just not playing up to the level that I have in the past. I’ve got to be better. (It’s) turnovers and penalties on our half. It’s nothing that they did. It’s all us.”
Perhaps the biggest issue on offense is that Reid and Nagy haven’t developed one of their receivers into an effective, consistent and reliable secondary option for Mahomes behind Kelce, the top pass catcher.
Although rookie Rashee Rice has been the best contributor among the wideouts, Mahomes targeted him just five times against the Eagles’ zone coverage. Kadarius Toney, perhaps the Chiefs’ most dynamic receiver, was more effective on special teams as a punt returner than on offense as he finished with just two receptions on two targets for 12 yards.
“I didn’t make good enough passes in certain situations,” Mahomes said. “I threw an interception in the red zone.”
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In the box score, the Chiefs finished with as many turnovers in the red zone (two) as touchdowns.
“They’re undefeated when they win the turnover battle,” Reid said of the Eagles, who had one giveaway. “Then you add the penalties to it, a couple of drops to it. We’ve got to take care of that.”
Mahomes’ receivers, including Kelce, dropped five passes, increasing the Chiefs’ league-leading total to 26.
“They know I’m going to keep firing it,” Mahomes said of his receivers. “That’s just who I am. I’m going to fire it to the guy who’s open. Usually, they’re going to make the plays.”
Despite their many miscues, Reid and Nagy called the perfect passing play after the two-minute warning. With the Chiefs near midfield, Mahomes said the Eagles put three defenders near Kelce in the middle of the field, which set up a one-on-one opportunity for Valdes-Scantling against Roby. Known for his speed, Valdes-Scantling was 4 yards in front of Roby when he dropped the potential game-winning, 51-yard touchdown pass.
Had Valdes-Scantling made the reception, the Chiefs would have improved another statistic that is quite troubling at this point of the season: They have scored only one touchdown in the fourth quarter this year, the fewest by any team in the league.
Valdes-Scantling wasn’t available to speak with reporters after the game, but on Tuesday morning, he posted his thoughts on social media. “I’m grateful, I’ll be better. And I appreciate the criticism and the support. God put this on me because he knew I could handle it. Gratitude for everything that comes with it.”
“The game certainly doesn’t come down to one play,” Watson said of Valdes-Scantling. “I’ve seen Marquez make that play 99 out of 100 times. That was just the one that he didn’t. He’ll make that play for us next week or the next time it’s called upon.”
Injury update: Receiver Mecole Hardman sustained a right thumb injury in the first quarter after a 5-yard reception. He returned to the field late in the third quarter. As the starting punt returner, Hardman was replaced by Toney, who had a trio of stellar returns, producing 58 yards on six opportunities.
(Photo of Marquez Valdes-Scantling: David Eulitt / Getty Images)
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