Mahomes suffers his first career loss to the Jaguars as KC falls below .500

Once again the Kansas City Chiefs are below .500 following their Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which occurred in gut-wrenching fashion down at EverBank Stadium.

318 passing yards and a game-leading 60 rushing yards weren’t enough for Patrick Mahomes to offset a killer pick-six that he threw in the third quarter. Despite getting the lead back late in the fourth quarter, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars marched down the field for a game-winner with just 30 seconds to play.

After the game, Mahomes was forced to acknowledge that the Chiefs have simply lost too many games already and that they’re going to have to figure out how to close out games moving forward if they have any hopes of even reaching the playoffs, let alone returning to a fourth straight Super Bowl.

“It kinda just talks about our entire season. We have the guys and we’ve executed at certain points in games and looked really good, but we kinda crush ourselves with penalties and mistakes and interceptions and fumbles and whatever that is,” Mahomes said. “We’ve done that to ourselves all season long. It’s been one guy here or there. In this league, it’s so close that those change games. We’ve got to be better. We’ve lost too many games already. We gotta find a way to be better as a team.”

State of the 2025 Chiefs

The Chiefs entered the season as three-time defending AFC champions, with expectations sky high after a stellar 15–2 campaign in 2024. Ahead of the season, the team made key roster moves—signing players like Kristian Fulton, Gardner Minshew, and others to shore up depth, while also dealing with the loss of veteran contributors such as Justin Reid. Analysts projected the Chiefs would remain among the league’s elite, achieving double-digit wins yet again while noting vulnerabilities in the offensive line and secondary.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FEBRUARY 09: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on during warmups prior to Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The early stretch of the season has been inconsistent, with Kansas City starting 2–2 and sitting third in the AFC West as of the latest standings. The Chiefs made headlines with Super Bowl loser history, becoming the first team to start 0–2 after a Super Bowl appearance since 2014. However, close losses—such as a 31–28 defeat to Jacksonville, marred by a 99-yard pick-six and critical penalties—have exposed the Chiefs’ margins for error more than in past seasons.

With a backbone of Andy Reid, Mahomes, and defensive standouts like Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, the Chiefs still have the talent to contend. But in a loaded AFC and with early stumbles, their path back to the top will demand consistency, discipline, and capitalizing on close-game moments.