Believe it or not, we’ve already reached that point in the season where playoff odds are beginning to become a talking point. The only difference is that, this time, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are at risk of being left out. They were able to claw their way back from a 0-2 start, the first of Mahomes’ career. But their 22-19 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 11 effectively signifies the end of their nine-year consecutive reign as AFC West champions.
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As the Kansas City has been relegated to a 5-5 record, the hope for their playoff odds is beginning to dwindle. So much so, in fact, that the former host of NFL Red Zone, Andrew Siciliano, is willing to go ahead and call the end of the dynasty.
“They are cooked,” Siciliano proclaimed during his recent appearance on YahooSports’ Inside Coverage. “It is over. They are not going to make the postseason. This is not some hot take. Last year, 10-0 in one-score games. This year, 0-5 in one-score games. Luck eventually comes back to the middle,” he added, giving a warning to Mahomes.
The Chiefs are officially on the bubble, sporting a playoff probability percentage of 51% ahead of their Week 12 matchup against the high-octane Indianapolis Colts. If Mahomes and co. can’t keep up with Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor; they’ll find themselves with a losing record once again. With just six games remaining afterwards, there won’t be much time left for them to correct it.
According to Mahomes himself, all of the individual pieces are there for him to succeed; it’s just up to him to go out and make the most of it.
“I think we’re really talented and we’ve got a lot of great players, but it’s about being more consistent. I think it starts with me,” Mahomes said, stressing his accountability. “There are times when we go in spurts, where I miss a throw or a protection call. We haven’t been consistent enough to win games. It starts with me… I’ve just got to make the throw. There’s no other way around it.”
Despite Siciliano’s assertions that they’re as good as done for, the nine-year veteran remains adamant that this is a playoffs-or-bust scenario, and that he has no intentions of going home early. Mahomes is well aware of the danger that lies ahead with Indianapolis, but at this point in time, all he can do is continue to rally his troops every week and do what he does best.
In acknowledging that the Chiefs are “going to get a great opponent coming into Arrowhead next week,” the three-time Super Bowl champion is imploring his teammates to “learn from this one as much as possible.”
Given the spot that they are currently in, as well as the prowess of their opponents, this Sunday could end up being Kansas City’s toughest assignment since they took on the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX. Much like then, it’ll be almost solely up to Mahomes to find the win. But then again, that’s why, that’s exactly why the Chiefs signed him to a $450-million contract.
