The Kansas City Chiefs have been finding new and different ways to win games all season, clinching a playoff berth and reaching a league-high 11 wins but often doing it by the skin of their teeth.
One former NFL quarterback believes the run may not be sustainable.
After the Chiefs withstood a second-half rally to beat the lowly Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, former quarterback turned commentator Ryan Fitzpatrick issued a warning about the team's chances down the final stretch. He compared the Chiefs to another recent team that started hot but fizzled as the playoffs approached.
"Don’t love the vibes in KC right now…this team feels eerily similar to Philly last year when they were 10-1 and the wheels fell off," Fitzpatrick shared in a post on X. "If you feel good about this team after the last 4 games I think you’re in denial."
The Chiefs have endured some struggles over that four-game stretch, losing a game to the Buffalo Bills during that stretch and needing late-game heroics to beat the Raiders, Carolina Panthers, and Denver Broncos -- three teams far from playoff contention.
Fitzpatrick also questioned how motivated quarterback Patrick Mahomes might feel to win regular-season games after the team won two Super Bowl titles in a row.
"I can only imagine how mundane some of these reg. season games must feel for Mahomes when this team has accomplished what they have," Fitzpatrick wrote in a follow-up post. "My opinion is this defense is hanging by a thread and have gone from dominant last year to pedestrian the second half of this season."
While Fitzpatrick said he still believes in Mahomes, he warned that the team's sloppy play may eventually let him down.
"Patrick Mahomes at the end of games is still inevitable but he may not have the chance in the playoffs versus a team that will light up this defense," Fitzpatrick wrote.
