Patrick Mahomes should be in the prime of his career.But Bo Nix is leading the AFC West, while Drake Maye, Justin Herbert and Daniel Jones are putting up better weekly numbers.Patrick Mahomes took a major hit vs the Denver BroncosgettyBlame game begins in Kansas City “We’ve got a lot of great players, but it’s about being more consistent,” said Mahomes, after the Kansas City Chiefs fell to 5-5 and third place in the division. “I think it starts with me. There’s times where I’m firing and we’re moving the ball down the field at ease. But there’s times where we go in spurts where I miss a throw like I did or a protection call or whatever that is. … It starts with me.”The three-time Super Bowl champ was a team leader by blaming himself following a frustrating 22-19 road loss to Nix and the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos. But it’s obvious that frustration is mounting in Kansas City. This was supposed to be Mahomes’ 2025 ‘revenge tour,’ answering for a blowout loss to Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX that saw the Chiefs trail 34-0 in the third quarter.“I feel like I didn’t play to my standard, especially the struggles that I had early in the season,” Mahomes said. “There’s things that I have to get better at, and they kind of showed today on the biggest stage.”Nine months later, Mahomes isn’t a top-five quarterback in the NFL and longtime head coach Andy Reid sounds frustrated with the overall state of Kansas City’s offense, which ranks 16th in the NFL in average rushing yards (115.3) and has been outscored by the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills and Eagles this season.Is Reid frustrated with Mahomes? “The runs are being called,” Reid told reporters. “It’s just sometimes they get turned into passes in today’s world.”Mahomes and Andy Reid are trying to fix the Chiefs’ offensegettytalkSPORT reacts ... Chiefs needed a tradeKansas City has fallen short this season vs the Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars, Bills and Broncos.All five of those opponents could make the playoffs.All five of those teams found exploitable weaknesses in a former dynasty.Kansas City no longer intimidates its opposition, while Mahomes has lost his spot as the best QB in the league.The Chiefs needed to make a blockbuster trade at the deadline.Kansas City responded by staying quiet, and now Andy Reid appears to be showing frustration at Mahomes while the NFL’s best teams prepare for the playoffs. Brian T. Smith, Senior US Sports Reporter “This may be the closest you will ever hear Andy digging in on Mahomes!” a second fan posted. “Kinda threw the QB under the bus a bit,” a third fan wrote. Despite a rotating cast of receivers and disappointing production at running back, Mahomes ranks third in the league in quarterback rating (72.7).But he’s 15th in passer rating (95.9) and his 64.5 completion percentage is the second-lowest of his career, only topping his 2017 rookie season.Chiefs losing their edge Reid has clashed during games multiple times with star tight end Travis Kelce, while the Chiefs are several levels removed from being dominant in 2025.Stuck with a .500 record 10 games into the season, missing the playoffs is as realistic as winning the AFC West right now for Kansas City.Ranking best teams in NFL 13. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)Patrick Mahomes blamed himself after the Chiefs fell to 5-5.But the truth is Kansas City hasn’t been elite since Week 1 began.talkSPORT ranks the best teams in the NFL Factor in that the Chiefs are 0-5 in one-score games this year — after going a perfect 12-0 last season — and it’s obvious that Kansas City’s fall isn’t all on Mahomes.He must be sharper for the Chiefs to return to the postseason for the 11th consecutive year.So must Reid’s playcalling and coaching, as Kansas City keeps giving up winnable games to more efficient opponents.“We’ve been losing these close games recently, but we’ve played some good football in spurts,” Mahomes said. “It’s just about being more consistent, and until we go out there and do it, all you can do is just keep saying, keep practicing and getting better and better and push yourself to go out there and do it on game day.”With Daniel Jones and the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts visiting Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Mahomes and Reid must be better — together. Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.