Kansas City Chiefs took on the Denver Broncos in a primetime game on Oct. 17. In the middle of the second quarter on fourth down, the Chiefs ran a quarterback sneak with Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes picked up the first down, but received something much worse. Mahomes dislocated his knee cap and had to be taken out of the game. The Chiefs managed to still win the game due to a great defensive performance, but lost their starting quarterback.

According to rumors, Mahomes will be out for the next two to six weeks, making Mahomes sit out during their game against the Green Bay Packers, along with upcoming matchups including the Minnesota Vikings. So the question on everyone’s mind is, how will the Chiefs do without Mahomes?

The Chiefs will struggle without Mahomes. Mahomes is a star and is able to throw the ball in the pocket or on the run. This has really helped the Chiefs because they have lost some key offensive linemen, like Eric Fisher, so it is good to have Mahomes to scramble out of the pocket.

This will really hurt the Chiefs because Matt Moore is not as fast as Mahomes and can’t scramble out of the pocket as well as Mahomes can. If the Chiefs want to win some games the offensive line will have to step up.

Another problem the Chiefs will have is the defense. The defense shined against the Broncos, something the team has struggled with all season.
The offense won’t be able to score every time under Matt Moore so they will need some defensive stops and turnovers if they want to win the next few games.

The final problem with Mahomes’ injury is the lineup for the coming weeks. The Chiefs played the Greenbay Packers, and will continue to struggle as they head to Minnesota to play the Vikings. The offense and defense struggled against the Packers during the first half, further showing the impact of Mahomes’ absence.

Despite the potential to be great games, the Chiefs will struggle to keep up without Mahomes. The Packers scored 31 points against the Chiefs, showing the defenses struggle to stop the ball. Since the Vikings have one of the best offenses in the league, the Chiefs defense will need to step up, something that has been inconsistent this season.
If the Chiefs lose to the Vikings they will be 5-4. That’s not a great record and the Oakland Raiders could catch up to the Chiefs.

While there are negative impacts for the team because of Mahomes’ absence, the worst thing the Chiefs could do is rush Mahomes back. Mahomes is only 23 years old, and has already received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) once. If the Chiefs decide to bring back Mahomes too soon, he could potentially injure himself more, which could take him out for the rest of the season. Mahomes doesn’t need to play in the next three to four games; however, will be more important later on in the season.

On the bright side, after the Chiefs play the Vikings, their next three games are teams with a losing record. These are three teams that the Chiefs can easily beat and keep a winning record. This will also give Mahomes time to recover because you don’t want to rush him back.
Another thing that will keep the Chiefs alive is Matt Moore. Matt Moore has now played in two games and looked good in both of them. He was able to put up 24 points on the Packers, which is one of the best defenses in the league. Though his statistics don’t compare to Mahomes, he has proven he can step up in Mahomes place. If Moore can get the ball to Travis Kelce and Tyrek Hill he will continue his success

The Chiefs will struggle without Mahomes, but they still have the weapons to keep them in the playoff race while Mahomes is gone. If Matt Moore and the defense can step up like they did in the Broncos game then they can keep a winning record and first place in the AFC west.