The Kansas City Chiefs may be sitting at 6-6 after a tough Thanksgiving Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but don’t count them out just yet. With five games left on the schedule and everything still to play for, Andy Reid’s squad has a real shot to finish strong and reassert themselves as a dangerous playoff team. An 11-6 finish isn’t just possible-it’s within reach, and if they get there, no one’s going to want to see this team in January.
Let’s break it down.
The Road Ahead: Five Games, One Goal
Kansas City’s final stretch kicks off with a primetime showdown against the surging Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football. That’s followed by a divisional clash with the Los Angeles Chargers, a matchup with the Tennessee Titans, and then back-to-back AFC West battles to close out the regular season: one against the Denver Broncos, the other against the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s not the easiest path, but it’s not a gauntlet either. Realistically, the Chiefs should be able to take at least two of these games.
But if they can string together wins over the Texans, Chargers, and Broncos, that would likely be enough to punch their ticket to the postseason. Right now, the final AFC playoff spots are being contested by the Chargers, Colts, and Bills-teams the Chiefs can absolutely keep pace with, especially if they find their rhythm down the stretch.
Reid’s Message: Vintage Andy
Andy Reid isn’t one to shy away from a good soundbite, and he delivered another gem heading into this final stretch. When asked about the upcoming matchups, Reid said, “We’re going to try to tickle your tonsils on every play.”
Classic Big Red. Beyond the humor, there’s a message here: the Chiefs are going to stay aggressive. This isn’t a team looking to limp into the postseason-they want to make noise, and they’ve got the firepower to do it.
The Texans Test
First up: Houston. And make no mistake, this is going to be one of the toughest challenges left on Kansas City’s schedule.
The Texans have been one of the league’s most improved teams, winning five of their last six games and narrowly losing the sixth to Denver. They’re playing with confidence, and their defense is a big reason why.
Houston is allowing just 16.5 points per game-an elite number in today’s NFL. They’ve only given up 23 touchdowns all season, which speaks volumes about how tough it is to finish drives against them.
They’re disciplined, physical, and opportunistic. If you’re not sharp, they’ll make you pay.
But if there’s one coach who knows how to crack a top-tier defense, it’s Andy Reid. Given 10 days to prepare after the loss to Dallas, you can bet he’s cooking up something special.
Cleaning Things Up
Speaking of that Cowboys game, Reid pointed to penalties as a major issue. The Chiefs hurt themselves with mental mistakes, and against a team like Dallas, that’s a recipe for disaster.
The good news? Those are fixable problems.
With extra time to reset, expect a cleaner, more focused performance moving forward.
Final Thoughts
At 6-6, the Chiefs are walking a tightrope, but they’re far from finished. The talent is there.
The experience is there. And with Andy Reid at the helm, there’s always a game plan.
If Kansas City can take care of business over the next five weeks, they won’t just sneak into the playoffs-they’ll enter as a team no one wants to face.
The message is clear: the Chiefs still believe. And if they get hot at the right time, they’ve got the tools to make another deep run.