RM Patrick Mahomes Confronts the Tough Reality of the Chiefs’ Playoff Chances After Week 13 Loss to the Cowboys

The Kansas City Chiefs dropped to 6–6 following a 31–28 Thanksgiving defeat to the Dallas Cowboys, a loss that further complicated their already fragile postseason outlook.

Entering Week 13, Kansas City sat at the No. 10 seed in the AFC, leaving them almost no wiggle room if they hoped to climb into the playoff picture. While losing to an NFC opponent isn’t the most damaging result, the Chiefs still face five remaining AFC matchups—making every game essentially a must-win scenario. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes made it clear he understands the stakes.

“At this point, you just have to win out and hope that’s enough,” Mahomes told reporters. “We’re playing a bunch of really good teams down the stretch. If we want to get into the postseason, we’ve got to win every single one. That has to be the mindset when we walk back into the building.”

The final stretch starts with the Houston Texans in Week 14, a difficult test considering the injuries the Chiefs picked up against Dallas. After that, they have three divisional contests against the Chargers, Broncos, and Raiders, plus a road game against a struggling Titans squad. It’s not an impossible path—but as this season has shown, the Chiefs don’t need impossible challenges to stumble.

Chiefs’ Playoff Outlook Takes a Major Hit After Week 13

Had Kansas City pulled out a win against the Cowboys, their playoff chances would have climbed to around 73%. Instead, the loss dropped their odds to just 47%. Mahomes understands the team’s potential—but also its vulnerabilities.

“Our ceiling is a Super Bowl,” Mahomes said. “We’ve got most of the same guys, added new ones, but none of that matters unless we execute every week. We can beat anyone, but we’ve also shown we can lose to anyone. Consistency has to start with me—playing well for all four quarters, not just in key moments. It has to happen every week.”

He added that while the Chiefs are capable of playing elite football, they haven’t shown it often enough this season: “You can talk about your ceiling all you want, but until you show it on the field, it doesn’t mean anything.”

The most frustrating reality for Kansas City is that even winning their final five games to finish 11–6 may not be enough. Their losses to other AFC contenders cost them crucial tiebreakers, meaning much of their fate is no longer in their own hands. Their clearest path now involves winning out and hoping the Indianapolis Colts collapse in the AFC South race.

In the end, the Chiefs might simply be too inconsistent to close the gap—and 2025 may not be their year after all.