Although there are a number of NFL teams that would probably kill to be 5-5 at this point in the season, the Chiefs certainly are not one of them. And yet, here they are, their playoff hopes and therefore their Super Bowl hopes dwindling with every contest, even though they are playing well.
Things are not over yet; in fact, they have seven additional games to turn things around. But they are certainly not the inevitability they felt like last season or the year before that, which is no doubt a huge change of pace for everyone inside Arrowhead, even if it all ends up being O.K.
Head coach Andy Reid, for one, has not lost the faith. In fact, he made clear Monday that he and his guys are less doom-and-gloom about the situation than everyone else, and know what they have to do to salvage their season going forward.
“We’re not quite as negative as the outside world is,” Reid said Monday, in a digital press conference. “We know what we need to clean up and we need to do it, but the guys, they get it. Some of these guys have been through some pretty good seasons, and this isn’t like this one’s lost. We just got to clean up a few of these things and the urgency level, obviously, we got to make sure we take care of that now."
Clean it up, and clean it up now. A simple enough plan.
Reid also emphasized the importance of taking things one game at a time, which is one of the best ways the Chiefs can stop themselves from slipping, and noted that both he and his players have to be sure to "take care of the small things."
"Everything else is involved with a crystal ball, but you can take care of today and tomorrow and the following day. Let's start there," the coach went on.
Week Opponent Opponent Record Home / Away Date Time Network
12 Colts 8-2 Home Nov. 23 1 p.m. CBS
13 Cowboys 4-5-1 Away Thanksgiving 4:30 p.m. CBS / Paramount
14 Texans 5-5 Home Dec. 7 8:20 p.m. NBC / Peacock
15 Chargers 7-4 Home Dec. 14 1 p.m. CBS
16 Titans 1-9 Away Dec. 21 1 p.m. CBS
17 Broncos 9-2 Home Christmas 8:15 p.m. Prime Video
18 Raiders 2-8 Away TBD TBD TBD
Next. Chiefs Super Bowl Chances, Explained By History. Chiefs Super Bowl Chances, Explained By History. dark
At the moment, K.C. has a 51% chance of making the playoffs, per the NFL's playoff picture simulator. And if any team could beat those odds, it would be the Chiefs, whether that's because of Tayvoodoo or just Patrick Mahomes's ridiculously clutch playmaking abilities. But it's still hard to ignore that history is not on their side.
It would be a lot easier to think it possible should they pull out a win vs. the well-rested and dominating Colts this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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