Can the Chiefs Still Salvage Their Season? A Closer Look at Kansas City’s Slim Playoff Hopes
For nearly a decade, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the gold standard in the NFL-consistent, explosive, and flat-out dominant. Since 2015, they’ve punched their playoff ticket every single year, hoisted the Lombardi Trophy three times, and made it to two more Super Bowls. But in 2025, the dynasty is wobbling.
After a tough Monday night loss to the Houston Texans in Week 14, the Chiefs find themselves in unfamiliar territory: third place in the AFC West with a 6-7 record. That’s not just below their usual standard-it’s outside the playoff picture entirely.
With four games left, they’re staring up at a red-hot Denver Broncos team that’s riding a 10-game win streak and sitting comfortably atop the division at 11-2. Catching Denver?
That ship has sailed.
The AFC Wild Card Race: A Crowded Field
Right now, the three AFC Wild Card spots belong to the Chargers (9-4), Bills (9-4), and Texans (8-5). That’s a tough trio to leapfrog, especially when you consider that the Colts (8-5) are also in the mix, despite falling out of playoff position after dropping three straight and losing quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles injury.
In a bold and somewhat desperate move, the Colts signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement to steady the ship. Rivers hasn’t played since 2020, and while he brings experience, it’s a massive ask this late in the season.
Meanwhile, the Ravens and Dolphins are also sitting at 6-7, just like the Chiefs. But Baltimore holds the edge in the standings thanks to a better record in AFC games (4-5 vs.
Kansas City’s 3-6). So, even in the middle of the pack, the Chiefs are trailing.
The Math: Is There a Path Back?
The road back into the playoffs exists-but it’s narrow, winding, and full of potholes.
Kansas City would need to win out, going 4-0 in their final four games. That alone is a big ask for a team that’s lost four of its last five.
But even if they run the table, they’d still need help. Specifically, the Chargers would have to go 1-3 the rest of the way.
The two teams still have a head-to-head matchup, which gives the Chiefs some control over that equation. Kansas City’s remaining schedule includes the Chargers, Titans, Broncos, and Raiders. Winning all four would put them at 10-7, with a 7-5 conference record.
The Chargers, on the other hand, face the Chiefs, Cowboys, Texans, and Broncos. If they only win one of those games and finish 10-7 as well, tiebreakers come into play.
A split in the season series would cancel out the head-to-head advantage. Division records could also be even, depending on how things shake out.
That leaves the next tiebreaker-record against common opponents-as a potential deciding factor.
Right now, the Chargers are 5-3 in that category, while the Chiefs are 3-4. But if Kansas City beats the Chargers, Broncos, and Raiders-and the Chargers lose to both the Chiefs and Broncos-then the Chiefs would finish 6-4 against common opponents, while the Chargers would fall to 5-5.
It’s possible. But it’s a long shot.
The Texans Factor
Even if the Chiefs somehow vault past the Chargers, they’d still need to leapfrog the Texans. Houston holds a two-game lead and also owns the head-to-head tiebreaker after beating Kansas City. That means the Chiefs would need to go 4-0, while the Texans stumble to a 1-3 finish.
Houston’s closing schedule? Cardinals, Raiders, Chargers, Colts.
Not exactly a murderers’ row. A 1-3 collapse feels unlikely, especially with the momentum they’ve built.
What’s Happened to the Chiefs?
The biggest difference between this version of the Chiefs and the ones that terrorized the league in recent years? The offense just isn’t the same.
During their prime, Kansas City was an offensive juggernaut-fast, creative, and nearly impossible to stop. This year, they’re averaging 24.2 points per game (11th in the league) and 367.1 total yards. That’s still respectable, but it’s not the terrifying unit that used to light up scoreboards.
Defensively, they’re holding teams to 19.5 points per game-seventh-best in the league. So the defense is doing its job.
The offense? Not quite.
Patrick Mahomes is still putting up solid numbers-3,398 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, plus 407 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. But the magic hasn’t been there as consistently. He’s taken a lot of hits over the years, and while he’s still capable of brilliance, the highlight-reel heroics aren’t as frequent.
Travis Kelce remains Mahomes’ top target, with 60 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns. He’s still productive, still a matchup nightmare. But the explosive, game-breaking plays that defined this duo for so long have been fewer and farther between.
The Bottom Line
The Chiefs aren’t mathematically eliminated, but their margin for error is razor-thin. They need to win every remaining game and hope for a lot of help-especially from teams playing the Chargers and Texans.
It’s a strange sight, seeing Mahomes and the Chiefs on the outside looking in during December. But this is the NFL. Dynasties don’t last forever, and even the best teams hit turbulence.
If Kansas City is going to keep its playoff streak alive, it’ll take a flawless finish-and a little bit of luck.