Andy Reid Shares Simple Plan for Getting 5-5 Chiefs Back on Track

Clean it up, keep it moving.
The Chiefs fell to 5-5 after a 22-19 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.
The Chiefs fell to 5-5 after a 22-19 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
In this story:

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.


Chiefs remaining 2025 regular season schedule

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.


More NFL on Sports Illustrated

dark. FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI

feed


Published
Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.