The Kansas City Chiefs were supposed to flip the switch a while ago. It looked like they did it after receiving a wake-up call from the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5’s Monday Night Football showdown.
They rattled off three straight wins after that, including a dominant showing over the Detroit Lions. Then, they dropped two in a row versus the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, sandwiching their bye.
It seemed like losing to Bo Nix and a divisional rival did the job, as KC went on to beat the then-AFC-leading Indianapolis Colts, 23-20. That statement win made it official — the Chiefs were back. From then on, Kansas City was supposed to take advantage of a lighter schedule and put together a torrid run to return to the playoffs with a ton of momentum behind them. That didn’t play out the way they expected, though.
Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) sits on the bench prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Cowboys spoiled the holiday
The Chiefs’ lighter schedule was supposed to start in Week 13, with a Thanksgiving matchup with the flailing Dallas Cowboys. After all, their opponent came into the game at just 5-5-1, with some truly ugly losses under their belt. Sure, Dallas had won two in a row against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Philadelphia Eagles after the trade deadline, but that didn’t really prove anything.
Well, in Week 13, the Cowboys proved that they were for real. They had the offense to compete all along, but their defense looked much improved versus Kansas City with the additions of Quinnen Williams, Logan Wilson, and some key pieces that were injured earlier in the season. They were able to stifle Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for half the game, doing enough to get a critical 31-28 win on Thanksgiving.
Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Chiefs in dire straits
The Chiefs knew they had little margin for error going into their matchup with the Cowboys. Now, it’s practically non-existent. Even if Kansas City managed to run the table for the rest of the season, that’d only give them 12 wins.
Losing any of their last seven could result in them just missing the playoffs, especially when they’ve already suffered head-to-head defeats against most of the teams ahead of them in the standings.
It’s not impossible, but it won’t be easy. KC has two easy matchups remaining, against the Tennessee Titans and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Their other three opponents are the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos, two of which they’ve already lost to this season. FanDuel had the Chiefs at +1100 to win the Super Bowl before their loss to the Cowboys. Their odds dropped to +1500 after the Thanksgiving dud. Now, they’re just -115 to even make the postseason.
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