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.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has already earned a first-ballot bronze bust. But he surely wants more.
This year, more may not be in the cards.
A Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys has dropped the Chiefs to 6-6, with five games to play. While they’re not officially done, they may have to run the table in order to get an invitation to the playoff party.
The remaining schedule looks like this: Texans, Chargers, at Titans, Broncos, at Raiders. Two games should be easy wins. As to the other three, who knows?
“If we’re gonna make the playoffs,” Mahomes told reporters after the game, “we’re gonna have to win them all.”
Winning out will definitely make it easier; an 11-6 finish should be good enough to get one of the seven AFC postseason spots. The problem becomes tiebreakers. They’ve lost to the Chargers, Jaguars, Bills, and Broncos. A tie for the seventh spot with any of them will knock the Chiefs out.
The Week 5 Monday night loss in Jacksonville could come back to haunt the Chiefs. If the Jaguars beat the Titans on Sunday, they’ll have a two-game lead over the Chiefs, along with a tiebreaker fueled by the bizarre play from quarterback Trevor Lawrence, where he fell down twice before running in for a game-winning touchdown.
Again, the Chiefs are still alive. But these Chiefs look nothing like the Chiefs have looked since 2018.
Those Chiefs wouldn’t be 6-6. And those Chiefs would have found a way to beat the Cowboys today.
The day started so promising for the Chiefs as Jaylen Watson intercepted Dak Prescott on the third play from scrimmage. The Chiefs took an early 7-0 lead.
It was the Cowboys’ day in the end, though.
Prescott threw for more than 300 yards; Watson had a crucial pass interference penalty late that helped the Cowboys run out the clock; and the Cowboys beat the Chiefs 31-28.
In what felt like a must-win for both teams, the Cowboys kept their playoff hopes alive with a third consecutive win that moved them to 6-5-1. They beat the 2024 Super Bowl teams — the Eagles and Chiefs — in four days. The Chiefs lost for the third time in four games and now appear longer-than-long shots to make the postseason at 6-6.
The Cowboys outgained the Chiefs 457 to 362.
Prescott completed 27 of 39 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. CeeDee Lamb caught seven passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, and George Pickens had six catches for 88 yards. Javonte Williams ran for 59 yards on 17 carries and caught a touchdown pass, and backup running back Malik Davis had a 43-yard touchdown run.
The Chiefs had 10 penalties for 119 yards. They punted five times and forced only one Cowboys punt.
The Cowboys ran out the final 3:27.
Patrick Mahomes went 23-of-34 for 261 yards and four touchdowns. Rashee Rice had eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt ran 14 times for 58 yards.
The Chiefs went three-and-out after Dallas had taken the lead 28-21. It might have been their best last chance to stay alive for the postseason.
The Cowboys drove 82 yards in eight plays and made it a two-score lead with a 26-yard field goal. They lead 31-21 with 5:16 left.
Dak Prescott threw a 51-yard pass to CeeDee Lamb to the Kansas City 39 that felt like a dagger. He also had a 17-yard throw to Ryan Flournoy on third-and-2 at the Kansas City 31.
The Chiefs had a chance for an interception on second-and-8 at the Kansas City 12 and Trent McDuffie forced a fumble on third down that KaVontae Turpin recovered to save the day for Dallas. Brandon Aubrey then kicked the field goal.
Prescott is 26-of-38 for 307 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Lamb has seven catches for 112 yards and a touchdown and Pickens five for 75.
