On Sunday, December 7, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans had a high-stakes game during “Sunday Night Football,” and both teams had their playoff hopes one the line. Going into the game, the Chiefs had a 6-6 record, while the Texans were 7-5. Both teams were also on the outside looking in when it came to the playoffs.
It’s been and up-and-down season for Kansas City. For a team that’s used to making it to multiple championships, and winning them, to have a small chance of making the postseason is just unusual. So, the pressure was on to deliver, and it made for a high-stakes game.
The Chiefs fell, 20-10, at Arrowhead Stadium. So what does this mean for the team’s chances of making the postseason? NFL research tells the story of the team’s chances going into Week 15, and it’s not pretty.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Playoff Chances After Houston Texans
Before the game against the Texans, the Chiefs, according NFL research, had a 34% chance of making the postseason. For Houston, the team had a 58% chance of making the postseason before they took on Kanas City.
After the loss, the Kansas City Chiefs’ chances of making the postseason dropped to just 15%, so it’s a very slim possibility at this point. The Texans’ chances went up to 87%.
So, going forward, the Chiefs have to keep winning. It’s sounds obvious, but it’s what they have to do. It’s something Mahomes has been talking about for weeks now, and he mentioned it after the team’s loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
“We’ve got to be more consistent,” Mahomes said after the team’s loss. “It starts with me being consistent throughout the entire game, not in just the big moments. That’s something that we have to do throughout an entire game and week to week. It’s not just one time. We obviously see the last week, we have a big win and then come here and play another good football team and you don’t come to play.”
Mahomes added, “So, the ceiling can be what it is, but until you put it on the football field, you won’t be able to go out there and win football games.”
Playoff Hopes Around the NFL
So, looking at the rest of the teams in the NFL, there are a handful of franchises that are already, for all practical purposes, in the playoffs. Those teams include the the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars. Going into Week 15, both the Patriots and Broncos have more than a 99% chance of making the postseason, and the Seattle Seahawks are at 97%.
While the Chiefs are usually one of those teams that’s a shoo-in for the playoffs at this point in the season, it hasn’t happened yet. But, looking on the bright side, it keeps things exciting. The teams who are already out of playoff contention are the Jets, Raiders, Saints, Browns, Falcons, Titans, Cardinals, Giants and Commanders. A handful of other teams aren’t technically out out of the playoffs but have a less than 1% chance of making it, including the Dolphins, Vikings and Bengals.
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