Patrick Mahomes Hasn’t Given up on the Chiefs’ Playoff Hopes Despite 6-7 Record

The Kansas City Chiefs have 12% chance to qualify for the 2025 NFL postseason after Week 14 loss to the Houston Texans.

Patrick Mahomes Hasn’t Given up on the Chiefs’ Playoff Hopes Despite 6-7 Record

Patrick Mahomes (Image via Imago)

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The Kansas City Chiefs are 6-7 after straight losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans in Weeks 13 and 14. The Chiefs are ranked tenth in the conference, staring at a potential exit from the playoffs after making the postseason for straight ten straight seasons.

According to The Athletic Playoff Simulator, the Chiefs have barely 12% chance of qualifying for the playoffs. The loss to the Texans and the Denver Broncos’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders eliminated any chance of winning the AFC West title, and clinching the conference seeds or home-game advantage is done for. If they win out the remaining schedule, they can finish the season with 10-7 and increase the odds to make the playoffs to 42%.

In addition to winning out, the Broncos’ winning at the Week 18 clash against the Los Angeles Chargers could further amplify their chances to 72%. However, if the Chargers emerge as winners, the Chiefs will have just a seven percent chance.

They don’t control their destiny, but all’s not lost for the Chiefs’ quarterback. Patrick Mahomes, who has won three times with the Chiefs, is hanging on to the sliver of chance that he won’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Mahomes, speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, admitted that though he understands that the chances are quite low, he still wants to give his best and try to make a run for the playoffs.

I always want to win, so it’s not like I have to draw too far but when I look at it now. I don’t know what the percentages are but I know they’re not high and I think it’d be special if we get to the playoffs and can make a run so why not give ourselves a chance to do that and we have to start by winning a football game so that’s what we’ll start at.

The Chiefs are unintentionally breaking Patrick Mahomes

The Kansas City Chiefs are facing growing criticism as their season continues to unravel, with many analysts now questioning whether the team is unintentionally “breaking” Patrick Mahomes. Among the loudest voices is Steven Ruiz of The Ringer, whose recent quarterback notebook highlighted troubling trends in Mahomes’ performance. These trends reflected deeper structural problems within the Chiefs’ offense.

Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes (Image via Heavy Sports)

Steven Ruiz’s most striking observation is Mahomes’ soaring scramble rate. In this season, nine percent of his dropbacks have turned into scrambles, the highest in the league. Mahomes has only approached this figure once before, last year, when the offense battled dropped passes and inconsistency. In Sunday night’s loss to the Houston Texans, these problems were on full display.

Ruiz argued that the entire game served as “an indictment” of how head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach have built around their superstar quarterback.

For what seems like the first time in Mahomes’ career, Reid’s offensive concepts and coaching decisions are also under scrutiny. His high-risk fourth-down calls and faith in a wide receiver group that hasn’t performed with reliability have contributed to an offense that no longer resembles its explosive identity. Mahomes himself took significant hits against Houston. Similar continued pressures on Mahomes could result in a major injury, a nightmare scenario for Kansas City.

The larger question is whether there is a fix? Some analysts argued that the Chiefs must shift towards more conservative protections, including max-protect schemes, even if it goes against Reid’s offensive instincts. Ruiz offered a far darker alternative: an early playoff exit might be the only way to guarantee Mahomes reaches the 2026 season healthy.

Also Read: Should Patrick Mahomes Be Blamed if the Chiefs Miss the Playoffs?