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Chiefs facing harsh playoff reality after Cowboys loss
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- Chiefs facing harsh playoff reality after Cowboys loss
The post Chiefs facing harsh playoff reality after Cowboys loss appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Kansas City Chiefs went to Dallas on Thanksgiving knowing the season was on the line. Patrick Mahomes delivered a four-touchdown homecoming, but the Chiefs still walked out of AT&T Stadium with a 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and a 6-6 record, turning their playoff chase into a tightrope act.
Mahomes completed 23 of 34 passes for 261 yards and four scores with no interceptions, according to ESPN's box score. Rashee Rice caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, while Travis Kelce and Hollywood Brown snagged the other TDs. Kansas City finished with 362 yards and no turnovers, but Dallas countered with 457 yards, a 9-of-16 mark on third down, and the night's only takeaway edge in situational football.
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Dak Prescott answered with 320 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, repeatedly finding CeeDee Lamb , who posted 112 yards and a score. Malik Davis ripped off a 43-yard rushing touchdown, Javonte Williams added a receiving TD, and Brandon Aubrey drilled all three of his field goals, including a 26-yarder that ultimately separated the teams.
The loss stings even more when you zoom out. The Denver Broncos sit at 9-2 and the Los Angeles Chargers at 7-4, leaving the AFC West title almost gone from view. Before Thanksgiving, The Athletic's playoff simulator had Kansas City in the mid-50s in postseason odds; updated projections now slide into the mid-40s, while other models drop the Chiefs to roughly 39 percent and 10th in the AFC pecking order.
So when Josh Norris shared The Athletic's graphic on X and said the Chiefs "must win out," he was not exaggerating . Houston Texans , Chargers, Tennessee Titans , Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders , that is the path. For Mahomes and the Chiefs, January started on Thanksgiving.
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