How the Chiefs Can Stay Alive At Least One More Week

Fourteen weeks into the 2025 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs are on the brink of elimination from playoff contention.

Some predicted that this team would take a step back this year due to the pieces they lost on the defensive side of the ball this past offseason, but no one thought that this could be the end of a dynasty. But that's what it's looking like.

Everyone kept waiting for the Chiefs to turn it on, enabled by Patrick Mahomes' usual magic and the intense concentration that typically accompanies this team in dire situations. And yet, KC has dropped its last two games, falling to 6-7 and now in danger of missing the playoffs entirely. The Chiefs don't even control their own destiny anymore, but they can help guide fate in their favor with a win in Week 15.

Los Angeles Chargers, NFL, Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, Khalil Mack — Sep 5, 2025; Sao Paulo, BRAZIL; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs against Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) in the second half during a NFL game at Corinthians Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters via Imagn Images | Amanda Perobelli/Reuters via Imagn Images

Chiefs simply must beat the Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs are in dire straits. Even if they win out from here, that'll only get them to a 10-7 mark, which might not be enough to secure a Wild Card bid in the AFC. Not only do they have to run the table moving forward, but they'll also have to get some help to surpass some of the teams currently above them in the standings.

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid looks on during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Of the three teams currently in the Wild Card picture in the conference — the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, and Houston Texans — LA is the most likely to drop out of the postseason. The Chargers are currently in the fifth seed at 9-4, but they face a daunting schedule down the stretch, starting with the Chiefs in Week 15.

If KC can come out on top in this head-to-head, it could start a snowball effect that results in Los Angeles bottoming out, and the Chiefs leapfrogging them into the Wild Card. NFL.com's panel of editors expects Patrick Mahomes and Co. to keep their season alive against the Chargers, with all five members picking the Chiefs. Tom Blair is predicting KC to eke out a critical win, 21-18:

All 37 ways (yes, a real number) the Chiefs could be eliminated from the playoffs this week — Not all (or any) are likely, but there are more than 3 dozen of them pic.twitter.com/PgmLaBBc4w
— Cody Williams (@TheSizzle20) December 12, 2025

"Setting aside the idea of Mahomes as a supernatural force, these two squads seem fairly evenly matched to me, with Kansas City boasting an advantage on offense (sixth in EPA per play, compared to 13th for L.A.) and the Bolts looking stronger on defense (eighth in EPA per play, compared to 16th for K.C.). In fact, I might even be tempted to go with a mild Los Angeles upset, based on the trendlines these squads have been on, with the Chargers winning six of their last eight and the Chiefs dropping four of their last five."

"Except for the one singularly abnormal thing going on with the other quarterback in this game. Justin Herbert will be taking his freshly operated-on left hand back into action six days after going through the ringer in a win over the Eagles that, yes, was cinematic — but also didn't exactly convince me to bank on him getting it done again so soon, on the road, against an opponent that, frankly, I probably trust more than Philly right now."

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