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Chiefs' Playoff Chances Take Significant Hit on Sunday
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- Chiefs' Playoff Chances Take Significant Hit on Sunday
The Kansas City Chiefs were not in action on Sunday, but their playoff hopes took a big hit after a significant development in the AFC. The Chiefs are coming off the tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, which marked Patrick Mahomes and Co.'s second consecutive defeat. Kansas City fell to 6-6 after the loss, leaving them in a precarious position in the playoff race.
On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills , 26-7. While neither of the two teams is in the same division as the Chiefs, Pittsburgh's loss in Week 13 still had a significant impact on the Chiefs.
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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (left) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes© Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Josh Allen led the charge for the Bills against Aaron Rodgers and Co. Buffalo improved to 8-4 after the win and remains seventh in the AFC. The Steelers, on the other hand, fell to 6-6 and ninth in the conference.
The key for the Chiefs is that the Steelers' loss saw Kansas City drop to 10th in the AFC. They have now fallen further back of the top seven teams that will secure a playoff spot in the conference.
More importantly, the Steelers dropped to second in the AFC North, with the Baltimore Ravens climbing to the top spot. This is a problem for the Chiefs because, as Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com noted, Kansas City needs the Steelers to win their division to improve its chances of securing a postseason berth.
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Because of tiebreakers , the Ravens are just one of two teams in the AFC that the Chiefs can beat out for a wild-card spot. The other team is the Indianapolis Colts . The good news for the Chiefs is that the Jacksonville Jaguars won on Sunday, maintaining their lead over the Colts in the AFC South.
If the Chiefs win on Sunday against the Houston Texans , Kansas City will hold the tiebreaker over them as well.
At this point, the Chiefs likely need to win all five of their remaining games, and even that might not be enough to secure a playoff berth.
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Related: Raiders TE Brock Bowers Passes Chiefs' Travis Kelce for NFL History
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
