This is foreign to Patrick Mahomes. This is foreign to Andy Reid’s dynasty team. The Kansas City Chiefs are on the verge of being eliminated from the NFL playoffs. And that could happen already this weekend.
Kansas City has reached five of the last six Super Bowls, including three in a row. They’ve reached seven consecutive AFC Conference Championship games and been to the playoffs in 10 straight seasons while winning nine straight AFC West titles, a streak that just ended with the Denver Broncos too far ahead.
But they are 6-7 on the year, third in their division and staring at the prospect of their season ending in the coming days.
Ways the Chiefs could be eliminated from the playoffs in Week 15:
- The Chiefs lost to the Chargers, the Jaguars beat the Jets, the Bills beat the Patriots and the Texans beat the Cardinals
- The Chiefs lost to the Chargers, the Jaguars beat the Jets, the Bills beat the Patriots and the Colts beat the Seahawks
- The Chiefs lost to the Chargers, the Bills beat the Patriots, the Colts beat the Seahawks and the Texans beat the Cardinals
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Week 13 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys during the 2025 NFL season.
The Chiefs are coming off an ugly 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans at the Arrowhead, during which Mahomes was intercepted three times in one of his worst games of the season while watching Travis Kelce and Rushie Rice drop catches at key moments in the game.
It’s been a familiar tale of a stagnant offense that has been creeping perilously close to total collapse for some time now, with even Steve Spagnuolo’s defense no longer able to save his side’s deficiencies on the other side of the ball.
“We’re in unprecedented territory, a place we haven’t been since I’ve been here,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
“All these guys winning championships, it wasn’t always pretty, but it’s really going to test what kind of character we have. I don’t know what the percentages are – I know they’re not high – but it would be special to make the playoffs.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Patrick Mahomes avoids a sack and makes an incredible throw as he falls to Xavier Worthy during the Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Dallas Cowboys
Between wins over the then-flying Indianapolis Colts and the oddly stifled Detroit Lions, there were sporadic flashes of the Chiefs’ inevitability of somehow making their way to the postseason. But not once did they manage to capitalize on back-to-back runs.
Kansas City’s passing offense still ranks fourth in the league in yards per game, while seventh in EPA, while Mahomes is third in passing yards among quarterbacks. But too often, Mahomes was left to try to conjure up the magic on his own.
“We have Pat Mahomes, right? Let’s be honest, we always have a chance,” defensive lineman Chris Jones said this week.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from the Week 14 matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2025 NFL season.
But they have been the picture of mediocrity for much of the campaign, no longer able to rely on the one-point steals they lived off last season.
Now they face a Los Angeles Chargers team fired up by Monday’s dramatic overtime win against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium. Jim Harbaugh’s team is 9-4 and closing in on a return to the playoffs.
“You want to play memorable football in December and January and meaningful games,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said. “They are games you need to win, against opponents we have a lot of respect for and we are very good.”
Watch the 2025 NFL season live on Sky Sports, including every minute of the playoffs and Super Bowl LX; Get Ski Sports or stream without a contract on NOW.