The Kansas City Chiefs’ dream of qualifying for the playoffs depends on the Week 14 showdown against the Houston Texans. While Patrick Mahomes has devised a plan for their upcoming clash, their defensive coach has come out with a different message. Steve Spagnuolo’s holiday season wasn’t exactly how he expected it to be.

“I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving, because I didn’t,” said Steve Spagnuolo, via NBC reporter McKenzie Nelson.

Steve Spagnuolo had every reason to be upset. The Chiefs’ 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving has put them third in the AFC West. Kansas’ defense was lacking coordination, and the Cowboys had a higher success rate on third down, which helped them keep control of the ball. They openly challenged the Chiefs’ inability to stop them.

Moreover, there were lot of struggles on the offensive front as well, which ultimately cost the team’s ability to turn things around in the final stretch of the season. It also hurts their chances of playoff qualification with only five games left.

While pressure on the Chiefs’ defense and DC Spagnuolo keeps on mounting, Patrick Mahomes has something up his sleeve ahead of Week 14.

Chiefs QB plans to run the football in Week 14

In the last six years, the Kansas City Chiefs have won the Lombardi Trophy three times. However, in 2025, their chances of qualifying for the playoffs are hanging on a fine thread, let alone winning the Super Bowl. Their chances of qualification stand at 34%. Winning in Week 14 will increase it to 48%. To ensure that it happens, Mahomes has a plan of action ready.

“We’ll try to do the best we can to get the ball out of my hands, running the football, and then whenever you have the shots to go downfield, you’ve got to stand in the pocket and hit them,” Mahomes said, per AtoZSports‘ Charles Goldman.

Does Mahomes‘ strategy ensure victory? Maybe, maybe not! On paper, it sounds like the perfect plan, but executing it is a whole other thing. The Texans rank first in total defense after Week 13, allowing only 265.7 defensive yards and 23 touchdowns. The same goes for scoring defense, where they allowed 16.5 points per game, making their defense one of the strongest in the league. In 12 games, defensive end Danielle Hunter made 11 sacks and 20 solo tackles, showing the strength in their defense.

While the Mahomes’ strategy may not guarantee a victory, it does increase their chances of putting on a great fight. This season, the star quarterback has completed 285 of 441 passes for 3,238 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. Four of his touchdowns came against the Cowboys, showing that he can run the ball.

However, the problem lies in the defense. The hope of the playoffs lies in the next game. If the 6-6 Chiefs lose, they can bid goodbye to their playoff dreams, with the qualification chances dropping to 11%. For the past decade, they have always topped their division, but that too seems like a distant dream. With everything on the line, will the Chiefs prevail, or will their decade-long reign finally come to an end on Week 14’s Sunday Night Football? Only time will tell.