Chiefs add Josh Downs to give Patrick Mahomes the downfield threat he has been missing

The Kansas City Chiefs filled their biggest need before Tuesday's trade deadline. They acquired wide receiver Josh Downs and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Indianapolis Colts, and sent 2027 fourth- and fifth-round picks the other way. ESPN's Nate Taylor reported that Kansas City first offered only a fourth-rounder the week before its win over the Jets. Indianapolis wanted a third. Swapping Day 3 picks is what closed the deal.

Downs is in his fourth season and asked out of Indianapolis last month. He will be a free agent after the season. Yahoo Sports noted that this was his second straight underwhelming year after a fast start to his career, and that the Colts had moved Keenan Allen earlier the same day. Even so, his numbers stand out on the Chiefs' roster. He has 33 catches for 354 yards and a touchdown in nine games, more than any Kansas City wideout. Rashee Rice leads that group with 25 catches for 292 yards.

The real problem has been the deep ball. According to ESPN, Patrick Mahomes has not completed a pass of more than 20 air yards since the Week 4 win at Las Vegas. That was the game where Tyquan Thornton dislocated his left ankle. Against the Jets, Mahomes averaged 2.8 air yards per attempt, the second-lowest mark of his career, even though he threw for 242 yards and two scores. Downs does his best work from the slot. His career includes catches of 59 and 69 yards, and his five receptions of 20-plus yards this season are more than any Chiefs wide receiver has. The Chiefs saw him up close in Week 2, when he caught seven passes for 72 yards in their 33-30 win over Indianapolis. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said Downs is "going to win" against man coverage.

There are caveats. Downs has 168 yards over his last six games and dropped two key passes in his final game for the Colts. He has topped 100 yards only twice in his career. Kansas City needs him to complement Travis Kelce, Rice and Kenneth Walker III, not carry the offense. Andy Reid has said that players added midseason need the aptitude to pick up the playbook quickly.

What it means for Atlanta

Downs will get three practices before Sunday's game at the Atlanta Falcons, and ESPN expects him to have a role in the plan. His arrival matters more because Xavier Worthy hurt his left hamstring late against the Jets. Reid has called Worthy day-to-day.

Kansas City is 6-2 and coming off a 35-12 win over New York. Before that, the Chiefs lost back-to-back road games at Seattle (20-3) and Denver (28-24). They are 3-1 away from home overall. Through eight games they have scored 202 points and allowed 143, about 25 points for and 18 against per game.

The Chiefs are favored on the board for Sunday's game, which covers 12 venues. Novig has Kansas City at -174 on the moneyline and Atlanta at +167. On the spread, Novig lists the Chiefs at -3.5 with a +113 price. The best price anywhere on the Chiefs side is Pinnacle's -3 at -115, so the venues are half a point apart on the line. Atlanta +3.5 is -115 on Novig and -114 at BetRivers, nearly identical. Novig's total is 45.5, with the over at -100. BetMGM has the best over at 45, priced at -110. Sportsbook hold runs between 3.0% and 5.0% across those markets.