The Kansas City Chiefs are probably the most fraudulent 9-0 team in recent memory. At least, that’s how we’d talk about it if it weren’t for two straight Super Bowl wins and the lifelong benefit of the doubt inherent in such achievements.

We know Patrick Mahomes is great. He’s on track to one day challenge Tom Brady for GOAT status, if all goes according to plan. The Chiefs are clearly a Super Bowl contender as the last undefeated team standing. In their pursuit of the first-ever NFL three-peat, the Chiefs could very well end this season by making history.

That said, the Chiefs have only won by more than one score twice this season. Their largest margin of victory to date was a 26-13 victory over the lowly New Orleans Saints, in a game in which Derek Carr was injured. It was a series of exciting comebacks and mediocre squeakers to get to this 9-0 start. A win is a win, but the Chiefs certainly haven’t felt as dominant as their perfect record suggests.

The same can be said for Mahomes individually. He’s just not as sharp as we’re used to, coughing up nine interceptions in nine starts. His current interception percentage of 2.9 would blow his previous career-worst of 2.3 percent (from last season) out of the water.

There have been countless criticisms of his footwork and decision-making, but that’s all easily swept under the rug when the Chiefs keep winning games and Mahomes has three Super Bowl MVPs to fall back on.

Still, it’s safe to say that Mahomes has been more reliant on Andy Reid’s scheme than usual this season.

Is Patrick Mahomes a system quarterback? Wellllllllll… No. Of course not. We cannot attribute that label to such a productive and talented player. It will certainly age as well as that of ‘Tom Brady System QB’ after he left Bill Belichick and won a ring in Tampa.

That said, Mahomes has benefited from Reid in profound ways in what can accurately be described as a “weak” season. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Kansas City wide receivers average a target distance of 4.2 yards, which is the second highest in the NFL. Meanwhile, only 6.8 percent of Mahomes’ throws this season have qualified as tight window throws.

In short, Mahomes is consistently throwing to open receivers despite the well-documented lack of talent in the Kansas City WR room. Two of the team’s fastest wideouts, Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice, have missed virtually the entire season. The arrival of DeAndre Hopkins has had a noticeable impact, but he didn’t exactly leave Tennessee’s defensemen in the dust before the trade deadline.

Reid has a special talent for getting his wide receivers open and putting Mahomes in position to succeed. Of course, none of this is beyond Mahomes’ control. The QB’s ability to extend plays outside the pocket can lead to unconventional routes and unexpectedly open targets. Mahomes also processes the field faster than most, which could help Kansas City strike before the defense intervenes.

That said, much of the Chiefs’ offensive success this season can be traced back to Reid. It always does. Mahomes has performed excellently by all normal quarterback metrics, but he hasn’t lived up to his lofty standards and, more importantly, his mild “struggles” have come while operating in a near-perfect environment. As such, it’s fair to wonder what exactly is going on with Mahomes this season, and whether it will impact the Chiefs when the games really start counting and history is on the line.