Chiefs slip to 0–2 as a red-zone misfire flips a Super Bowl rematch.

Arrowhead had all the juice of a Super Bowl sequel—until one moment sucked the air out of the building.

Down 13–10 late in the fourth, Patrick Mahomes marched the Chiefs 74 yards in 14 plays. Then came the snap, the read, the dart to a trusted target… and the gut punch. The ball glanced off Travis Kelce’s right hand inside the 5, popped into the air, and landed with Eagles rookie safety Andrew Mukuba—an interception that swung the game, the momentum, and possibly the early arc of Kansas City’s season.

Philadelphia capitalized, punching in a touchdown on the ensuing drive and chewing more than five minutes off the clock to seal a 20–17 win at Arrowhead. The rematch of Super Bowl LIX went the Eagles’ way—again.

Mahomes takes ownership: “That’s on ball placement”

Mahomes finished 16-of-29 for 187 yards with a touchdown and a late interception—the one intended for Kelce.

“You want to put it low, but more on his body,” Mahomes said postgame. “In those tight quarters, you give a bigger guy a ball he can secure and brace for contact.”

On the broadcast, Tom Brady called it a “great pass.” Mahomes disagreed, pointing instead to placement and timing with a defender sitting in the window:

“We knew the hole player would be looking for Trav. He’s one of our big targets down there.”

By the numbers: Win probability models had K.C. at 53% before the pick. After? 24%—and dropping.

The partnership stalls—and the record shows it

No quarterback–tight end duo has been more reliable in high-leverage spots than Mahomes-to-Kelce (72 career TDs together). But the red-zone misfire capped a two-week stretch where timing and rhythm have looked… off.

Kelce’s two-game line: 6 receptions

Mahomes in Week 2: 187 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Chiefs start: 0–2 for the first time in the Mahomes era (last time K.C. started 0–2: 2014, also the last time the Chiefs missed the playoffs)

Kelce’s production dipped in 2024 to his lowest yardage since 2014. Early returns in 2025 haven’t reversed that trend—and with Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (injury) out, defenses are squeezing the middle and daring Kansas City’s receivers to win outside.

What has to change—fast

1) Red-zone clarity. Expect Andy Reid and Matt Nagy to tighten spacing and eye discipline against robber/“hole” defenders who sit on Kelce. Lower, body-targeted throws and more high–low pairing should re-open his window.

2) WR production. Until Rice returns and Worthy heals, someone (Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton) must force bracket adjustments away from No. 87.

3) Tempo & sequencing. More early down runs and quick game to settle protections, then shot plays off play-action. K.C. can’t live in third-and-long against front sevens like Philly’s.

4) Clean football. Penalties and on-schedule misses have short-circuited too many drives. This roster is built to punish mistakes, not survive them.

Big-picture takeaway

Mahomes didn’t throw Kelce under the bus—he put the microscope on himself and the throw. That’s leadership. But for the first time in years, the Chiefs’ margin for error feels thin. The Eagles’ formula—muddy Kelce’s landmarks, win with a lurking defender, and finish drives—worked in February and worked again in September.

Kansas City still has the quarterback, the coach, and the championship scar tissue to solve it. The question is how quickly they can recalibrate before an 0–2 hole becomes something bigger.