- The Chiefs played terribly in the Christmas Day loss to the Las Vegas Raiders
- Shannon Sharpe criticized Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the aftermath
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Shannon Sharpe has criticized Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs battle for WINNING form with the NFL playoffs on the horizon.
The Chiefs lost to the Raiders on Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium, bringing their recent streak to five losses in eight games – a worrying downward spiral for last season's Super Bowl champions.
Sharpe, a three-time Super Bowl winner, believes the Chiefs will make an early exit from the play-offs on current form and believes there are a series of issues causing the team to struggle.
On First Take on Tuesday, Sharpe began his analysis of Kelce's teammate Mahomes, saying, “He talked about consistency (after the Raiders loss) — man, we're in Week 16.”
“I'll tell you that in Week 4, Week and Week 8: We're two weeks away from the end of the season.
Chiefs star Travis Kelce has been 'bitten by the drop bug' according to Shannon Sharpe
The First Take analyst discussed the Chiefs after the shocking loss to the Raiders on Christmas Day
Sharpe also said that Patrick Mahomes hasn't recaptured the form that people are used to seeing
“Mahomes hasn't played well by his standards and he's starting to take unnecessary risks with the football, putting them in even more danger.
“Sometimes the Chiefs get too cute for themselves. You already look good – why do you need all that makeup? Because you try to hide mistakes that you think other people can't see.
“The offensive line has been porous all year. The receiver game has been porous all year. And then it's made worse by the fact that Patrick Mahomes isn't the Patrick Mahomes we're used to seeing. You get a prescription for one-and-done.”
Sharpe then turned to tight end Kelce and the Chiefs' continued struggles at wide receiver.
“Even Travis Kelce has been bitten by the drop bug,” Sharpe said. “He dropped the paycheck early in the ball game, tried to catch it with one hand and all he has to do is put both hands up.
“People say they miss Tyreek (Hill – the wide receiver who left the Chiefs for the Miami Dolphins) – they won the Super Bowl last year without Tyreek. Patrick Mahomes was MVP without Tyreek.
“What happened is they didn't have the expectations they had this year anymore. Everyone said they would take a step back without Tyreek.”
The Chiefs return to action on New Year's Eve at Arrowhead Stadium, hosting the Cincinnati Bengals as they desperately try to return to victory.