Travis Kelce has ‘got bitten by the drop bug’ and Patrick Mahomes is ‘taking unnecessary risks’, claims Shannon Sharpe as he breaks down how the Chiefs lost to the Raiders

Shannon Sharpe has criticized Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs struggle for WINNING form with the NFL playoffs on the horizon.

The Chiefs lost at Arrowhead Stadium to the Raiders on Christmas Day taking their recent run to five defeats in eight games – a concerning downward spiral for last season’s Super Bowl champions.

Sharpe, a three-time Super Bowl winner, thinks the Chiefs will be making an early exit from the playoffs on current form and believes there are an array of issues causing the team to struggle.

On First Take on Tuesday, Sharpe started his analysis on Kelce’s teammate Mahomes, saying: ‘He talked about consistency (after the Raiders loss) – bro, we are in Week 16.

‘I’ll give you that in Week 4, Week , Week 8 – we are two weeks out from the end of the season.

‘Mahomes hasn’t played well by his standards and he is starting to take unnecessary risks with the football which further puts them in harm’s way.

‘Sometimes the Chiefs get too cute for themselves. You already look good – why do you need all that make-up? Because you’re trying to hide flaws you don’t think other people can see.

The offensive line play has been porous all year. The receiver play has been porous all year. And then it is compounded by Patrick Mahomes not being the Patrick Mahomes we are used to seeing. You get a recipe for one-and-done.’

Sharpe then turned to the tight end Kelce and the Chiefs’ ongoing struggles at wide receiver.

‘Even Travis Kelce has got bitten by the drop bug,’ Sharpe said. ‘He dropped the pay early in the ballgame, trying to catch it with one hand and all he has to do is put both hands up.

‘People say they miss Tyreek (Hill – the wider receiver who left the Chiefs for Miami Dolphins) – they won the Super Bowl last year without Tyreek. Patrick Mahomes was MVP without Tyreek.

‘What happened is they don’t have the expectations that they had this year – everybody said they would take a step back without Tyreek.’

The Chiefs return to action on New Year’s Eve at Arrowhead Stadium, as they host Cincinnati Bengals as they desperately look to return to winning ways.