The Kansas City Chiefs are sitting at 6-6, and if they’re going to punch a ticket to the postseason, they’ve got to treat every remaining game like it’s win-or-go-home. That’s not hyperbole-it’s the reality of where this team stands heading into the final stretch of the 2025 regular season. Head coach Andy Reid knows it, and during his Monday press conference, he didn’t sugarcoat it.
“We’ll head through these practices coming up and get ourselves ready to play against a good Texans team. And they are good,” Reid said. “They’re one of the top defenses in the National Football League, top third-down defense in the National Football League, and they’ve got a great defensive front.”
Reid’s not just throwing compliments around. The Texans have been a problem for opposing offenses all season, especially on third down, where they’ve made a living getting off the field.
That’s going to put pressure on a Chiefs offense that’s been inconsistent, particularly on the road. But the good news for Kansas City?
This one’s at home.
Sunday night’s matchup against Houston kicks off a crucial five-game stretch to close the regular season-and three of those games will be played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. That matters. A lot.
Because here’s the thing: the Chiefs have quietly become one of the most home-dependent teams in the league this year. While their overall record is a flat .500, the split between their home and road performances tells a very different story.
At home, the Chiefs are 5-1. On the road?
Just 1-5. That four-win differential is tied for the largest in the NFL this season, matched only by the Colts.
It’s a stark contrast and a trend that’s flown a bit under the radar, especially for a team that still boasts the sixth-best scoring differential in the league at +73.
To put that in perspective, only a handful of teams are struggling more than the Chiefs on the road. The Giants are winless away from home at 0-8.
The Chiefs join the Browns, Raiders, Commanders, and Saints with just a single road win. Even teams like the Jets, Dolphins, and Titans-who’ve had their own ups and downs-have more road success than Kansas City.
But at Arrowhead? It’s a different story.
Only the Broncos (6-0) and Colts (6-1) have better home records than the Chiefs’ 5-1 mark. That home-field advantage, powered by one of the loudest and most passionate fanbases in football, has been a lifeline for a team trying to find its rhythm.
And now, with the margin for error gone, the Chiefs will need to lean into that home-field magic. They’ll likely need to run the table-five games, five wins-to keep their playoff hopes alive. That means taking care of business at home and finding a way to get it done on the road, something they haven’t been able to do consistently all year.
The Texans come in with a top-tier defense, and they’re not going to make anything easy. But if the Chiefs can clean up the mistakes-something Reid has been emphasizing all season-and play to their strengths at Arrowhead, they’ve got a shot to stay in the hunt.
It’s been a strange season in Kansas City. The numbers suggest this team should be better than 6-6. But now, it’s not about what the stats say-it’s about whether they can string together five complete performances when it matters most.
The road to the playoffs starts Sunday night, and for the Chiefs, it begins where they’ve been at their best-at home.