The Kansas City Chiefs played their regular season-ending game on Sunday. Notably, the team clinched the AFC West title last year. As they were about to play their last regular game of 2023 against the Los Angeles Chargers, coach Andy Reid put all the responsibilities on Patrick Mahomes’ backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert. And the result was the same, even though Mahomes was ruled out via a coaching decision.

The Chiefs beat the Chargers (31-17) in the Week 7 game, with Patrick Mahomes onboard. This time, the Chiefs won 13-12 against the same team, without Patrick Mahomes. But we aren’t talking about the result of both games. Instead, we are delving into the struggling offensive side of the Chiefs which has become quite concerning, as the team approaches the AFC wild card round.

A brief look into Chiefs’ ‘lackluster’ offense

The Chiefs had a close game against the Chargers with a 13-12 final score. It was a regular-season finale, and the Chiefs rested most of their starters since they were already locked into the No. 3 seed for the upcoming playoffs. Even with 12-year veteran backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert leading the team, they managed to secure the win with a game-sealing kick by “last-game’s star” Harrison Butker. However, the overall performance, especially from the backup offense, wasn’t very impressive. Despite some decent individual stats from players like La’Mical Perine (74 rushing yards) and Mecole Hardman (77 yards), the team struggled to execute consistently, resulting in 12 first downs and 268 total net yards.

In the Week 18 game, the offense was unable to find a rhythm. Moreover, the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys had big wins on Sunday making a statement about their readiness for the playoffs. But the Chiefs victory in Week 18 didn’t quite give that same feeling. There were concerns about the Chiefs’ offense, and their readiness in case key players like Patrick Mahomes or Travis Kelce get injured during the playoffs. Coach Andy Reid might have wanted to use this game to explore those concerns, but it is safe to say that the Chiefs didn’t perform at their usual level. Hence, one could say that this win didn’t boost the team’s confidence for the playoffs; instead it highlighted the existing issues the offense is facing and the challenges they might eventually have to deal with in the future.

Besides the ordinary 13-12 victory against the Chargers, it wasn’t the most thrilling of games for two significant reasons.

Here’s why NFL fans weren’t too excited for Chiefs vs. Chargers

This game didn’t create much excitement in the football world because it had little impact on the overall standings as the Chiefs had already qualified for the playoffs. Additionally, some key players from the Chiefs, such as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce sat it out. Notably, for Kelce, it was a loss of an opportunity.

Mahomes’ absence was expected, given the team’s playoff qualification, while Kelce was close to reaching a significant milestone of achieving his eight-straight 1000 yard season as tight end. Apart from them, Nick Bolton, Justin Reid, and others were given a rest. The decision to rest these players was influenced by factors like securing their health for the playoffs. All of these reasons arguably made the Chiefs’ last regular game of 2023 less exciting for football enthusiasts.

Read More: Blaine Gabbert Offers a Patrick Mahomes’ Confession as He Gets Chiefs’ Endorsement Before Chargers Clash

The Chiefs will be playing next against the Dolphins in their wildcard round on January 13, at 7 P.M. CT. What are your predictions for the upcoming thriller game? Tell us in the comments below.

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