KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The concept sure was great in theory for the Chiefs:

Go to Brazil, why don’t you, and become the first NFL team to play in four foreign countries, expand your burgeoning brand and extend the radical notion of being known as the “World’s Team.”

Nevermind the 20-24 hours of round-trip travel required for the 10,000-mile plus endeavor. Forget about the inconveniences and disruption of control and logistics that coach Andy Reid typically is so adamant about.

Accept it as an honor and embrace it, he’d urge. Be what he called “ambassadors of sorts.”

The team sure did just that upon arrival at the airport late Wednesday. And with the international media on Thursday.

And, heck, even Friday, particularly with Travis Kelce indulging and inciting fans at Neo Quimica Arena with dance moves during warmups before the Chiefs took on the Los Angeles Chargers.

That figured to only get amplified with the buzzing crowd for just the second NFL game here and a scene with a vibe reminiscent of crowds at an Olympic event. No wonder Reid later would say he got goosebumps during the Brazilian national anthem, and that Patrick Mahomes said he’ll remember the night the rest of his life.

So it was all pretty cool right up to kickoff against an AFC West foe the Chiefs had beaten seven straight times — a now-routine part of their recent utter domination of the division with nine straight titles.

But then came the actual kickoff, and … uh-oh.

Instead of this being a redemptive, reassuring statement in the first game since the Eagles dismantled them 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs from the get-go were so sloppy, outhustled and outplayed that you could only wonder how much that loss to Philadelphia was a blip and how much it was some serious truth.

While the Chiefs rallied and made some drama of it, the 27-21 loss illuminated lots of concerns as they brace to play host to the Eagles next week. Along with issues, oh, all over the place, it also marked the end of another era: seemingly always finding a way to win close games. The loss to the Chargers ended the Chiefs’ NFL-record 17-game winning streak in one-score games.

This was the most distressing part, though: For all the fanfare around this game, the Chiefs were so obviously flat that Reid called them out for it in his opening remarks.

Even as he tried to do what he normally does — put the blame on himself — he couldn’t quite leave it at that when the follow-up questions came.

“I expect more than that; I’ve got to make sure we come out with better emotion,” he said.

When I asked him what signs he saw, his first words were blunt.

“Listen, I’m on the sideline,” he said.

He expected more “emotional support” there, for one thing, just like he also expects “players to fly around.”

Whatever’s going wrong, he added, “you fight through that and you make yourself better. Whatever situation that you’re in.”

In the end, sure, they mustered enough of a comeback to have the Chargers facing third-and-13 with just over 2 minutes left.

But quarterback Justin Herbert evaded the rush, particularly because Chris Jones took an inside route, and scrambled outside for 19 yards to essentially end it — embodying a game in which the Chiefs were chasing the Chargers from the get-go.

Like traffic in the surrounding city that’s one of the largest in the world, the Chiefs were going nowhere fast as of getting penalized on the opening kickoff to offset Tyquan Thornton’s 42-yard return.

Three plays later, their best remaining receiver, Xavier Worthy, was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury after colliding with Kelce. Then the Chargers jumped the Chiefs on their opening drive, not just taking a 7-0 lead but setting a tone with their energy and urgency.

Entirely opposite what might reasonably have been anticipated from the Chiefs as they set out to atone for the Super Bowl embarrassment.

“When you don’t come out and play with the right mindset, you get beat,” Mahomes said, echoing Reid’s sentiments.

Mahomes later added, “I could feel it pretty early on. They definitely came out with more energy than we did. In this league, everybody’s too good for you to not match the energy of your opponent.”

Next thing you know, the Chiefs whiffed on their first seven third-down conversion attempts, including one on which Hollywood Brown simply dropped a pass, and they incurred seven first-half penalties for 48 yards and trailed 13-6 at halftime.

And that was only after a frantic scramble to get the snap off for Harrison Butker’s 59-yard kick to beat the clock going into the locker room.

Largely because of the inevitable, inimitable Mahomes, they still somehow threatened to pull out a win they had no business enjoying.

For the umpteenth time, he flipped the dynamic through his sheer grit: a statement 15-yard run barging over defender Donte Jackson near the sideline, followed shortly by an 11-yard touchdown run to cut it to 13-12.

He did it with his touch: a 37-yard TD pass to Kelce.

And with his uncanny imagination and escapability — parallel to the ground willing the ball to JuJu Smith-Schuster. Along with the poise to find Brown for 49 yards to help cut the score to 27-21 with 2:34 left and give the Chiefs at least a chance to get the ball back.

But it all proved to be in vain despite — or was it because of? — the setting.

“We didn’t give all those fans who showed up the best show,” Reid lamented.

Now they’re left to face some new realities:

What do they really have in the passing game if Worthy’s out along with the suspended Rashee Rice? Can they really tolerate more penalty binges from Jawaan Taylor, who had four on Friday?

What’s up with a defense that was fourth in points allowed last season giving up 27 points, not creating a turnover and failing to come through when it was all on the line?

Most of all, though, how can they account for — and fix — the unacceptable fact that they weren’t ready to play Friday?

No, we can’t ignore the odd circumstances that came along with the big stage.

But it’s an issue until proven otherwise.

And as much as Reid might want to publicly blame himself, the real shame of it is on a team that had everything to play for and wasn’t ready to meet the moment.

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