Why Chiefs Are Battling Existential Crisis in NFL's Playoff Push

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andy Reid was real with his team this week.

“I'm big on reality,” the head coach said Wednesday. “What's real? Why are we where we are? What can we do to fix that?”

In order to fix it, the mental battle the Chiefs (6-6) are fighting as they prepare for Houston (7-5) on Sunday Night Football (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan) is a struggle between what’s real and what could be painful reality.

Despite one of their more statistically successful seasons, a team with 10 consecutive playoff berths may not have a good enough record to even quality for the postseason.

“It’s crazy that you watch the film and you see what's real,” Travis Kelce said on this week’s edition of New Heights. “And what's real is that we're (expletive) this close, man; we're this (expletive) close.

“And it's tough, man. It's tough to be a part of this reality right now, because we're 6-6 and we're fighting for our lives to find a way into the playoffs. And what's real is that we still have a chance, baby, and that's all that (expletive) matters to me, is that we got a chance.”

patrick mahome — Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs with the ball against Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (92) during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Chances slipping rapidly

That chance with every loss diminishes exponentially, dropping to 14 percent if they lose on Sunday according to analyst Evan Kaplan. And this week against the NFL’s No. 1 defense, the Chiefs need to find a way to flip the 2-3 plays that favor their opponent, and do it with an offensive line that could include three backup players.

“We keep coming into work with the mentality and the sense of urgency that we need to have to get the ship fixed,” Kelce added, “and turn those handful of plays that are losing us the game into a handful of plays that win us these games.”

andy reid, patrick mahome — Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks with head coach Andy Reid during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The catalyst

Reid is the catalyst. Sometimes, the 67-year-old coach takes more of a CEO approach in stewarding the NFL’s resident dynasty. This week, though, he’s firmly in the driver’s seat.

“Yeah, what we need to do,” he said Wednesday, “is take care of some of the little things, the penalty things that take you out of drives, so you're not scrambling … And then some of that, I got to give the guys the right plays to try to execute to their strengths. Coaching is part of it, playing is part of it, and we all have a piece of that pie.”

The key is to bake that pie before it’s too late, and the defense’s share might be key this week against Houston. The Chiefs have had far too many near-takeaways, and they view that specific “little thing” as one of the biggest contributions they can make on that side of the ball.

“We talk about it every week,” cornerback Trent McDuffie said Wednesday. “I think that's definitely a major emphasis that we talk about throughout the week.

“The focus is really on just catching the ball and just making an emphasis that we got to make those plays. At the end of the day, we can punch it out but we have to just make the plays when they come to you.”

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