For nine straight years, the Chiefs ruled the AFC West. But after a Week 14 loss to the Houston Texans, they are officially out of the running for the division title. This unprecedented setback is new territory, especially for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who recently spoke about his motivation to reach the playoffs despite a 6-7 record.

“I always want to win,” the three-time Super Bowl champion said, as per TheChiefsWire reporter Charles Goldman. “I don’t know what the percentages are, but I know they’re not high. I think it’d be special to get into the playoffs and make a run.” 

In each of his prior seven seasons, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to the playoffs. He’s determined to keep this streak alive, chasing near impossible odds at around 15%, even when he’s been called “wildly, inconsistently inaccurate” by columnist Skip Bayless.

For the first time since 2015, the Chiefs are struggling for a fighting chance to land a playoff spot. Currently, the Bills, Chargers, and Texans are the ones to clinch the wildcard spot. All these teams have beaten KC this season. If there’s any chance for Mahomes to stand by his words, it’s by winning the remaining four games against the Chargers, Titans, Broncos, and the Raiders. 

Alongside sharpening his own game to boost his 61% completion rate (his lowest since his rookie year), Mahomes is also taking charge as a leader to rally his 53-man Kansas City Chiefs roster. 

“At the end of the day, we know that we’ve got to handle our business first,” Mahomes also said. “We’ve got to win the football games, and the rest handle itself.”

In addition to rallying his teammates, Mahomes will be eager to rebound from a night to forget against the Texans. His three interceptions and career-low 42 percent completion rate left plenty to fix before the Chiefs’ next showdown.

If the Chiefs beat the Chargers in Week 15, their playoff chances improve, but they’ll still need help from other teams. Los Angeles would likely need to drop at least two of their remaining three games, and Denver beating the Chargers in Week 18 would greatly boost Kansas City’s path.

In addition to Mahomes rallying the team to get their business in order, help from other teams remains crucial. Tight end Travis Kelce knows the stakes and the margin for error is razor-thin.

Travis Kelce addresses razor-thin margins as Chiefs hope for a wildcard spot

After the Texans’ loss, Kelce opened up on the team’s slim playoff chances, and talked about what needed to be done. He stressed that every game and every catch now carries enormous weight for Kansas City’s postseason push.

“We don’t necessarily control our own destiny at this point,” Kelce said. “We need some things to happen outside of us winning all our games, so that’s all you can do, man, you got the Chargers coming in, and you just get after them.”

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Kelce will be eager to rebound after hauling in just one catch for eight yards against the Texans. He’ll aim to convert more targets into touchdowns as the Chiefs fight for playoff survival.

Even though the Chiefs’ playoff odds are merely around 12%, fans still have faith in Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid to get through this tough time. The Chiefs can kickstart their late playoff push at home, facing the in‑form Chargers at Arrowhead. A strong showing there could set the tone for the critical stretch run.