"That's scary" - Former NFL QB believes Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs cooked up recipe for disaster in Week 18

The Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs may have clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed, but not many want them to rest their starters in Week 18. Former NFL QB Chris Simms has warned coach Andy Reid that resting key players could be "a recipe for disaster."

On "The LeBatard Show" on Friday, Simms shared his concerns about the impact of extended rest on their playoff aspirations.

“You’ve got to play a little bit. They're going to go three and a half weeks without meaningful football,” Simms said.

Simms pointed out past examples like the Baltimore Ravens’ shocking loss to the Tennessee Titans in 2020 after a similar layoff. He also stressed the importance of maintaining momentum and brought up historical precedents.

“That’s scary. That’s a recipe for getting upset in the divisional round," he said.

"Whether it was the Parcells' Giants or the Belichick's Patriots, they had a lot of games where Week 17 was all locked up. They didn’t really need to do anything, but Brady and everybody played maybe into the third quarter, and then they took them out. You want to go into the playoffs somewhat sharp and ready to go. So, I hope the Chiefs play a good majority of their guys, at least a good amount of the football game."

The Chiefs ended up resting their starters, including Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, and were steamrolled by the Denver Broncos in a 38-0 shutout. It was the first time Kansas City had been blanked under Andy Reid.

The Week 18 clash for the Denver Broncos, who earned a Wild Card berth, was their second franchise shutout against the Chiefs— the first since 1984. Next up, they will face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

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Did Chiefs make a calculated gamble?

With no stakes in Week 18, it did not come as a surprise that Reid rested his starters.

Previously, he rested Alex Smith in 2017 to give then-rookie Patrick Mahomes his first start. This year, the baton was passed to Carson Wentz, who struggled in his Chiefs' debut.

Alongside Patrick Mahomes, notable names like Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and Isiah Pacheco were sidelined. Meanwhile, active starters played limited snaps.

Five days before the Week 18 clash, Reid explained his decision, saying:

"It wasn't a hard decision. I've been through it before. It gives the other guys an opportunity to grow."

In spite of the shutout, Kansas City enters the playoffs as favorites with a 15-2 regular-season record.