The Kansas City Chiefs' playoff hopes took a huge hit at AT&T Stadium with a 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
After the defense intercepted Dak Prescott on the first offensive drive, and a few plays later scored a touchdown via Rashee Rice, the Chiefs were rolling, but the good times didn't last as the Cowboys' defense forced four consecutive punts between the second and third quarters.
Still, the Chiefs huffed and puffed, but penalty issues again plagued the unit, especially defensively, as CeeDee Lamb gave Trent McDuffie a tough time all game.
And for head coach Andy Reid, he knows where it all went wrong.
"Bottom line is we were having too many penalties," Reid said. "We got to make sure we take care of that, both sides of the ball. To get off the field on third downs, stay on the field offensively, not backing yourself up. No excuses, we will work on cleaning it up."
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Chiefs' playoff hopes hanging by a thread
Kansas City's playoff hopes at 6-6 aren't completely over, but it is getting close, and depending on what happens with the rest of the teams above it in the playoff race (Texans, Jaguars, and Bills), the Chiefs could fall further behind.
More than that, the Chiefs will be looking back at the 10 penalties committed as a big reason for the loss vs. Dallas, and it might have cost them a playoff spot.
It has been a common theme for this team over the past few weeks, and in a game where everything was on the line, they again reared their ugly head.
As Reid stated, no excuses, but the Chiefs now face a nearly impossible task to make it to the postseason, barring something exceptional happening.
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