How Patrick Mahomes' injury could derail the NFL's best storyline
WHY?!
Patrick Mahomes has been the best thing to happen to the NFL in recent memory. He was seemingly built for this version of the NFL, where passing is the priority and physically gifted signal-callers are king.
And then he suffered a knee injury on Thursday night.
Why? Just… why?
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback suffered a dislocated kneecap in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, according to multiple reports. He’s likely to miss at least three weeks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. And that’s the best-case scenario. The NFL’s best quarterback (in the league’s most exciting offense) will be sidelined.
The injury has a chance to derail what seemed like the the most compelling collision course in the NFL: Patriots vs. Chiefs in the AFC championship.
It practically eliminates the possibility of the New England traveling to Arrowhead Stadium for a second straight year in the AFC championship. The injury also lowers the likelihood of the Chiefs (5-2) taking the AFC’s No. 1 seed away from the Patriots (6-0).
We may not even see the Chiefs and Patriots face off in the playoffs. Without Mahomes in the coming weeks, Kansas City could take unexpected losses, which would mean it loses ground in the standings. And that could make the road to the AFC championship game harder. Because the Patriots are going to get there, right? They always do. They’ve been in the AFC championship for the last eight years.
Last year’s AFC title game, an overtime thriller, was probably the most electric playoff game. Even with the Chiefs losing the the Colts and Texans in recent weeks, that matchup seemed likely to happen again. It seemed destined to happen: Tom Brady (the GOAT) vs. Mahomes (the GOAT-in-training) and Bill Belichick (6 Super Bowls wins) vs. Andy Reid (46 winning percentage in the playoffs).
This injury could ruin that.
Over the next six weeks, the Chiefs seem like they have two winnable games against the Tennessee Titans and the Minnesota Vikings. (Though, considering how bad Kansas City’s defense has been, there’s reason for concern in both games.) The Chiefs also have four tough matchups against the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders and Patriots. Four losses during that span could mean they’re playing in the wild card round. (*Whispers* There’s also an outside chance they could miss the playoffs entirely, if Mahomes’ absence is extended and the Chargers and Raiders improve as the season progresses.)
The Chiefs aren’t in full-panic mode. Reid has won games with Alex Smith. There’s a chance the coach can win with Matt Moore, even if the defense has looked bad against pretty much every offense except the Broncos (which isn’t saying much).
If the Chiefs were going to beat the Patriots this postseason, they were probably going to need home field advantage. And it wouldn’t have hurt to have a first-round bye, too. With Mahomes at the helm, Kansas City seemed capable of upending the Evil Empire. But the quarterbacks injury complicates the Chiefs’ place in the playoff standings. And it jeopardizes the Chiefs-Patriots rematch that we’ve been hoping for.