Will Chiefs' offensive burden once again fall on Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce?

When Hollywood Brown suffered a collarbone injury in the first preseason game, Patrick Mahomes must have thought: Not this again. 

This year was supposed to be different after Mahomes and Travis Kelce carried the offense last season. And though they both played about as well as they've ever played, the two Kansas City Chiefs stars showed statistical regression that opened the door to doubt and criticism.

There was the physical toll, with Mahomes taking the second-most sacks of his career. There was the psychological toll, with Mahomes throwing the most interceptions of his career. Kelce admitted last year was "pretty taxing," which is code for: hard as hell. The media and fans didn't make things easier, particularly as the Chiefs skidded into the playoffs winning just four of their final eight games. The haters had pitchforks and torches.

So when Brown was injured, Mahomes would have been right to think: Not again.

It's not yet clear if Mahomes and Kelce will face a rerun of last season's adversity.

But Brown, a free-agent addition who has 313 career receptions, will likely miss the final elements of the Chiefs' offensive installation and the start of the regular season. For a newcomer projected into a crucial role, it was bad news. More than that, it felt like a bad omen — a regression back to what was. Mahomes & Co. aren't at square one, but they've had to rethink things.

"We lose a little bit of that veteran-type receiver in that room," Mahomes told reporters last week. "We have other guys that can replace him a little bit, but to have that much talent and have a good understanding of what I want ... hopefully we're getting him back sooner rather than later.

"We've just got to keep pushing those young [receivers] to