It must be frustrating to play the Kansas CIty Chiefs in an average week these days. Ever since Andy Reid was installed as the team's head coach back in 2013, the Chiefs have been the model of sustained success and things were taken to even greater heights when Patrick Mahomes was named starting quarterback in 2018.
Russell Wilson is the ideal example.
Despite a history of putting up solid production against the Chiefs in a handful of games in his career, Wilson has still experienced mostly frustrating results as the quarterback of the losing team. That was true when with Seattle to a degree but it's been made far worse after he was traded to the Denver Broncos.
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In his career against Patrick Mahomes, Wilson is 1-2 as a starter and is 1-3 overall against the Chiefs. Last year, in his first year with the Broncos, he added two of those losses as part of Denver's historic inability to defeat their AFC West rivals—a losing streak that dates back to 2015 (basically forever in NFL terms).
Here's the thing: Wilson is largely playing well in those games—at least on paper. Wilson has thrown for 918 passing yards with 9 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions in four career games versus K.C. going back to 2014. Even last year, Wilson had 3 touchdown passes in a losing effort in Week 14. Despite a rating of 100.1, the Broncos still fell by a final score of 34-28.
The frustrating part for Wilson in these games is that he's often been left flat on his back. He was sacked 10 times between two games against the Chiefs last year, and this year's K.C. defense looks even better than before. If Nick Bolton is back, that will only make it worse in the heart of the defense for Denver and Charles Omenihu will return to the Chiefs roster after this Thursday night game.
To his credit, Wilson and the Seahawks did win their first battle against Mahomes and the Chiefs—a rare occasion in a 38-31 victory back in 2018. In that game, Mahomes did what he could with 273 passing yards and 3 touchdown passes but K.C.'s defense needed the overhaul that was coming that next offseason.
If Denver has any real hope here, it's knowing they forced Mahomes to throw four picks a year ago between two games. Then again, they somehow lost both times to the Chiefs despite having such margin. Maybe that doesn't bode well for them after all.
