It’s been a long time since Andy Reid and the Chiefs have found themselves with such long odds of making the playoffs as the ones they have right now, but there aren’t any signs of white flags being flown by the head coach in Kansas City.
Reid said on Monday that he feels the team has been a few plays away from turning most of their losses into victories and that the focus will be on tightening up their execution in those situations because they are still “in position where if we can figure out those two, three plays, you flip this around.”
“If you’re coming to me, we’re going to go after you every game, and that’s how we roll,” Reid said, via Dave Skretta of the Associated Press. “We’re going to tickle your tonsils on every play, every game. But that’s the attitude we’re coming in with, and then you let the chips fall where they may.”
At 6-6, the Chiefs are in a deep enough hole that simply winning their next five games won’t be enough to guarantee them a spot in the postseason tournament. It would be a pretty good place to start any push, however, and next Sunday night’s game against the Texans is the first must-win game for the defending AFC champions.
The Texans got quarterback C.J. Stroud back in the lineup for Sunday’s game Colts and they got the result they were looking for against the Colts.
Houston’s 20-16 win extended their winning streak to four games and kept them in the mix for the AFC South title if they can continue stacking victories. Stroud was 22-of-35 for 276 yards and an interception in the game and said he “knocked off some rust” that accumulated while he was out for three games with a concussion.
Stroud said that he felt he got “rolling” as that rust fell away and that he thinks the Texans can continue to turn around a season that opened with losses in their first three games.
“We’re super dangerous,” Stroud said, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC. “We lost some close games against some really good teams. If we can find a way to win some close games after Thanksgiving, we’ll put ourselves in position to do whatever we want.”
Stroud and the Texans will be in Kansas City next Sunday night for a game that is crucial to the playoff hopes of both teams, so Houston will need a rust-free performance from their quarterback if they want to keep rising after their early stumbles.
The Chiefs’ run of 10 consecutive seasons making the playoffs is likely to come to an end, if the betting odds are to be believed.
The odds of the Chiefs missing the playoffs are now -120, compared to odds of making the playoffs at +100, according to DraftKings.
The Chiefs’ Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys has changed the math on their chances of making the playoffs. At 6-6, Patrick Mahomes says the Chiefs have to win every game and hope that’s enough. Even if they finish 11-6, it’s not a guarantee the Chiefs would make the playoffs.
The Chiefs certainly could win all five of their remaining games, which include home games against the Texans, Chargers and Broncos, and road games against the Titans and Raiders. But their record says they’re a .500 team. And a team that’s unlikely to make the playoffs.
If the Chiefs want to make the postseason, they’re going to have to spend the rest of the regular season in playoff mode.
Thursday’s 31-28 loss to the Cowboys dropped the team to 6-6 on the season and kept them on the outside looking in at the playoff race in the AFC. Given how many teams there are between them and a safe spot in the postseason pecking order, winning out isn’t a guarantee that they’ll be able to keep playing before Week 18 but quarterback Patrick Mahomes said that’s the only thing the team can do at this point.
“You’ve got to win every game now and hope that’s enough,” Mahomes said in his postgame press conference. “We’re going to play a lot of good teams coming up. If we’re going to make the playoffs, we’re going to have to win them all. That’s got to be the mindset when we step into the building when we get back.”
Mahomes also pointed out the reason why it’s hard to believe these Chiefs are capable of that kind of run. Mahomes said the Chiefs have “to be consistent for four quarters” to put together that kind of winning streak and their record shows that consistency has not been something they can rely on in Kansas City.
The Chiefs will not have their left tackle for the foreseeable future.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Josh Simmons suffered a dislocated and fractured wrist during Thursday’s loss to the Cowboys.
While he will receive an MRI on Friday to help determine a course of treatment, he is considered out indefinitely.
Simmons exited AT&T Stadium in a cast.
Simmons, the No. 32 overall pick of this year’s draft, missed several games while dealing with a personal matter in California earlier this year. He returned for the Week 11 loss to Denver, starting Kansas City’s last three games.
Jaylon Moore started at left tackle in Simmons’ stead during his absence and would presumably take over at the spot again.
