[ad_1]
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs spent the higher a part of a decade treating the AFC playoff race as a formality. This 12 months, it grew to become a weekly math downside, and the numbers do not lie. Sunday evening’s 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans dropped Kansas Metropolis to 6-7, pushing the franchise into unfamiliar territory: tenth place within the AFC with 4 video games remaining and under .500 in December for the primary time since 2012.
The defeat additionally ended the Chiefs’ run of 9 straight AFC West titles. Patrick Mahomes did not disguise the fact of the second.
“We all know the (playoff) chances are high getting decrease and decrease, however I do know the fellows on this group are going to provide the whole lot they’ve, each alternative we get,” Mahomes mentioned.
Kansas Metropolis’s evening unraveled in acquainted style. Drives stalled, possibilities slipped away and the Chiefs’ offense by no means discovered a rhythm. Mahomes completed with simply 160 passing yards on 14-of-33 throwing with three picks — a stat line formed as a lot by his personal miscues as by the assistance he by no means acquired. The Chiefs dropped six passes, together with one from Travis Kelce within the fourth quarter that deflected into the arms of Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, and one other from Rashee Rice on essential fourth-and-4.
The safety points had been simply as damaging. Kansas Metropolis entered the sport already patching collectively an offensive line with three starters unavailable, then misplaced sort out Wanya Morris on the primary snap. On the opposite aspect of the ball, cornerback Trent McDuffie exited after struggling a knee damage following a 46-yard completion to Nico Collins. With the lineup thinning, Houston constantly collapsed the pocket, pressuring Mahomes on roughly half of his dropbacks and contributing to what grew to become the bottom passer ranking of his profession.
“They’re upset,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid mentioned. “They put all of it on the market and it did not work out for them. The blokes that had some mishaps, they [are] upset. These guys take duty for issues.”
Mahomes has by no means missed the NFL postseason.
“I do know we’re not successful video games, however that mindset the fellows have on this locker room, within the video games that we’re not successful, you’ll be able to by no means query the struggle of this group,” Mahomes mentioned. “Clearly, we’re not executing on the proper moments and we’re not making these performs, however on the finish of the day you’ll be able to by no means query that, and I believe you will see that for these final 4 weeks.”
Kansas Metropolis’s path again to the playoffs is slender, however not not possible. The Chiefs shut the season with house video games in opposition to AFC West rivals Denver Broncos (11-2) and Los Angeles Chargers (8-4), and highway contests in opposition to struggling Tennessee Titans (2-11) and Las Vegas Raiders (2-11).
To maintain their postseason possibilities alive, they might want to win out and hope the Wild Card groups forward of them stumble.
[ad_2]
