As Andy Reid & Co. showed up to St. Joseph earlier this week, it wasn’t just on the heels of a well-rested offseason, but also the ghosts of the past. In simple words: It was to serve as that make-or-break moment that’d give spectators hope for the future after a Super Bowl LIX heartbreak. And for the most part, it did. Reid, when sending an encouraging message, used the words “urgency” and “foundation” to put his point across. Mahomes, on the other hand, threw a deep pass to wide receiver Xavier Worthy on the very first play of the 7-on-7 drills on Tuesday to reiterate his HC’s point. But, like they say, life can throw you hurdles without warning.

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This time, however, the first hindrance was exactly the opposite of what anyone could’ve anticipated. Shortly before the Day 4 training session was supposed to start at 9:15 am CT, a message reached fans’ mobile devices and emails.

“Due to inclement weather, today’s practice has moved indoors and is no longer open to the public. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you would like to attend Training Camp on a different day, please visit ‘My Chiefs Account’ to secure your spot,” the message read in what was a valid concern. Notably, just weeks ago, heavy storms had lashed central Texas—specifically Texas Hill County, that lies around 640 miles south of the Chiefs’ training camp location—bringing a summer’s worth of rain in one night. Casualties were reported to be over 100, while missing persons lists ran close to 50. No wonder the Chiefs did not want to take a risk, especially after authorities also made sure to remind the public of the looming threat.

Two days ago, the City of St. Joseph, MO Government‘s official Facebook page announced an important warning, “With a flood watch in effect for the St. Joseph area from 4pm today, July 24, through 4am on Saturday, July 26, this is a good reminder to always be weather aware,” while sharing safety tips for residents. Thankfully, things didn’t worsen further, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to go ahead as planned, minus one addition. As Chiefs journalist Pete Sweeney reported on July 24, “Bit of a strange day at training camp. Plans to go inside changed, and the team practiced outside with no fans in attendance. It was overcast for most of practice with temperatures in the mid-70s.”

Reportedly, the Chiefs observed the same attendance as it was for the rest of the week, barring the PUP players, Kristian Fulton, Jawaan Taylor and Tre Watson missing all four workouts. However, Sweeney also noted that except for Mahomes’ deep conversion to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton in the beginning, “the rest of the period seemed a bit sloppy”. But all this was just half of a bigger picture. The second hurdle presented itself larger than ever.

Patrick Mahomes reportedly hasn’t looked like the Patrick Mahomes we know and love.

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Patrick Mahomes’ struggles surface

The Chiefs have prided themselves on fast, disciplined camps in the Mahomes era. But this week, timing was off, and the execution was shaky. As per multiple updates by Sweeney in the same X thread, he talked about misplaced throws, struggles with deep balls, and broken passes.

Counting is hard

“In the late-practice 11-on-11 period, Mahomes floated a ball deep downfield just out of the reach of WR Hollywood Brown,” one of his tweets read, while another mentioned, “Mahomes tried another deep ball down the middle of the field to WR Xavier Worthy, but Conner and CB Nohl Williams showed good coverage and ensured the play was incomplete.”

And if that wasn’t enough, the journalist also mentioned, “In Mahomes’ final turn at 11-on-11, he tried another deep pass from the 50-yard line to Worthy, but it was broken up by LB Drue Tranquill (not a typo) in the end zone. CB Jaylen Watson broke up Mahomes’ final pass in 11s intended for CB Robert Tonyan.”

While the quarterback also showed his real self, like for that “beautiful back-shoulder pass” to WR Jalen Royals, the clock is ticking. Kansas City is aiming to join a small list of teams that have appeared for a third straight Super Bowl appearance. There’s time. There’s talent. But for now, there’s tension.

Will they be able to go all the way? Only time will tell.