Chiefs dropped passes: How Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Travis Kelce miscues haunted Kansas City in Super Bowl rematch

David Suggs

•
Chiefs dropped passes: How Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Travis Kelce miscues haunted Kansas City in Super Bowl rematch image

The Chiefs saw their hopes for a second-straight win over the Eagles go up in smoke on Monday night, with Philadelphia doing just enough to hold off their adversaries in a rematch of last season's Super Bowl, 21-17.

The Eagles defense impressed, blotting Patrick Mahomes' influence (to the best of their ability). Mahomes completed just 24-of-43 passes for 177 yards, two touchdowns and one interceptions. For some QBs, that would constitute a decent display. For Mahomes, it was a disappointment.

Still, with the game hanging in the balance and the ball firmly tethered to Mahomes' golden arm, all hope was not lost. That is, until a string of self-inflicted errors saw the game (quite literally) slip out of the Chiefs hands.

MORE: Chiefs' second-half scoring droughts becoming a recurring problem

Monday's affair was a messy one. Caught in the fury of an unrelenting rain, neither side looked like the behemoths that clashed on the ballroom under the chandelier just nine months prior.

The reigning Super Bowl champions looked decidedly more ordinary when matched up with their hulking opposition. And with the lights at their brightest, they crumbled; Kansas City surrendered six drops and two red zone interceptions on Monday.

The Chiefs' final drive alone saw three passes slip out of receiver's hands, all of which proved to be quite consequential.

Travis Kelce was the first victim, whiffing on a delicate Mahomes dime as the clock ticked towards the two minute warning. It was his second major blunder of the day; he coughed the ball up inside the red zone earlier in the fourth quarter, denying Kansas City of a precious insurance marker.

Kelce rallied with a pair of strong catches through traffic. Two plays later, Andy Reid and Co. dialed up The Big One: Marquez Valdes-Scantling left his marker in the dust with a streak route, prancing towards open terrain. With the end zone gaping, all he had to do was cushion Mahomes' floated pass.

He did not. The ball ricocheted off of every inch of Valdes-Scantling's body before tumbling to the ground. Valdes-Scantling would do the same.

Mahomes was befuddled, left in a daze after Valdes-Scantling's ill-timed drop. He had delivered a pearl of a throw to his battery mate. And yet, within seconds, it had turned to ashes.

And Mahomes was left gobsmacked, hands sprawled over his helmet as if in a daze. He had to dust himself off soon, though. An intentional grounding call left him — and the Chiefs — with just one more opportunity on fourth-and-long.

MORE: Inside Chiefs' turnover troubles after mistake-filled loss to Eagles

Mahomes gave Kansas City one more chance with a laser toward Justin Watson. But like his contemporaries before him, Watson was unable to reel in the pass, which bypassed his grasp before falling harmlessly to the turf.

The last grab was certainly the most challenging; Watson had a defender draped on his back and another two heading in his direction.

Still, a closer look reveals just how close Watson got to Mahomes' arrow.

At 7-3, Kansas City is still a clear frontrunner for the Lombardi Trophy. But the Chiefs' propensity for bloopers — either via giveaway or spurned catches — doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence going forward.

Most drops in NFL by team

For all of the Chiefs' explosiveness, they're certainly lacking a bit of concentration in the flat; they lead the league in drops, having relinquished their grip on the orb some 26 times. 

Here's who joins them in the top ten:

Team Drops Games
Chiefs 26 10
Bengals 23 10
Lions 23 10
Rams 21 10
Cowboys 19 10
Jets 19 10
Vikings 19 11
Packers 18 10
Browns 17 10
Panthers 16 10

Most drops in NFL by player

It's been a season to forget for Valdes-Scantling, who capped off Monday's disasterclass with another decisive drop.

Valdes-Scantling leads the league in dropped passes, having bounced the ball off the green six times in 2023.

Despite his struggles, Valdes-Scantling still appears to have secured Mahomes' faith. The two-time MVP took blame for Valdes-Scantling's drop, saying he could have taken a touch off of it to make it easier for his wideout to run underneath.

MORE: Eagles shut out Chiefs in second half as drops doom Kansas City

"I could probably throw it a little bit shorter, he was that open," Mahomes said. "He's gotta continue to try to get better and better."

Still, you'd have to imagine he doesn't have much more leash to work with, especially not as a 29-year-old wide receiver taking part in his sixth NFL season. 

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.