Entering the final stretch of the 2025-26 season, the Kansas City Chiefs are in rare territory. Not for most teams, of course, but absolutely for them.
Considering their run to five Super Bowls in six years, an Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes-led squad being on the verge of missing the playoffs altogether is strange. Since Mahomes became the club’s full-time starting quarterback in 2018, the worst outcome they’ve known is losing in overtime of the AFC title game.
In order to even sniff that path again, a lot must go right for the reigning conference champs. With Week 15’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers on the horizon, their best player knows it.
Patrick Mahomes Laser-Focused on Week 15 Opportunity Against Chargers
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Mahomes gave everyone a peek into the team’s focus. The two-time NFL MVP seems well aware that everything starts with the Chiefs handling their own business.
“I mean, we understand we’ve got to win,” Mahomes said. “I think that’s obvious. You’ve got to win the football game, so whatever it takes. You can say that every week, but obviously, you’re kind of in that back-against-the-wall type of spot where you’re playing a team you’re chasing that has a big lead in front of you. You’ve got to find a way to win. You’ve got to have that mindset when you step onto the football field.”
Unfortunately for Kansas City, this year’s team isn’t known for taking care of its own processes. Oftentimes, that’s led to lackluster results. Look no further than Week 1’s game against this very Chargers team, a 27-21 loss in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Blaming an early-evening injury to wide receiver Xavier Worthy is fine, but the problems were rooted deeper than that.
Over the course of the season, that’s only become more and more obvious. Close losses to the Philadelphia Eagles (20-17), Jacksonville Jaguars (31-28), Denver Broncos (22-19) and Dallas Cowboys (31-28) all reflected a team that’s close, but not close enough.
Mahomes hopes Sunday can mark the start of a new chapter.
“It’s just kind of how I’m wired, you know?” Mahomes said. “I believe that this team can win any football game. We have to come and show that. This will be a great challenge for us â we understand that. We’ll have to have a great week of practice trying to prepare ourselves, then just find a way to win it on Sunday.”
Chiefs Leaning on Culture & Motivation to Make Late Playoff Push
Since Reid joined the Chiefs in 2013, all they’ve known is success. Even before Mahomes was drafted, the franchise made multiple trips to the postseason. Their current streak is 10 years running, the longest in the sport.
Not too many players from the pre-Mahomes era remain. One organizational pillar on each side of the ball stands out. On offense, tight end Travis Kelce became a Chief the same offseason Reid did. On defense, tackle Chris Jones was a 2016 NFL Draft selection. That was the final Kansas City draft before Mahomes â the rest is history.
With their backs against the wall, Mahomes wants to lean on his fellow leaders.
“You’re going to have to,” Mahomes said. “We’re in unprecedented territory. It’s a place that we haven’t been since I’ve been here. I think you lean on the guys that have kind of battled through adversity and came out better on the other side. That’s Chris, Trav, all these guys that have won championships. It hasn’t always been pretty, but it’ll really test us to see what type of character we are. I think we’ve got the guys in the room to do it.”
At 6-7 on the year, the Chiefs are 10th in the AFC playoff picture. Estimates of their current postseason odds generally sit somewhere between 10-15%. A win on Sunday against Los Angeles can’t swing that a ton, but a loss can effectively put their year on ice.
Given a chance, albeit a slim one, Mahomes doesn’t plan on letting the latter happen.
“I always want to win, so it’s not like I have to draw too far,” Mahomes said. “I mean, when I look at it now, it’s like… I don’t know what the percentages are, but I know they’re not high. I think it’d be special if we can get into the playoffs and can make a run. Why not give ourself a chance to do that? We have to start by winning football games, so that’s where we’ll start at.”
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