The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in unfamiliar territory following Sunday's 22-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. Not only have chances at winning the AFC West division all but been eliminated, but suddenly, even the playoffs are a question mark.
Kansas City is 5-5 and currently the ninth seed in the conference.
That is quite the departure from a Chiefs team that has reached the AFC Championship seven straight seasons. They have not missed the postseason since 2014.
On Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the media. He was asked what his message was to his team.
“What can you do? You can get yourself ready to play Indianapolis,” Reid said, per Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen. “You can take care of today, tomorrow, and the following day. Let's start there.”
Kansas City is certainly in a precarious situation. The three teams ahead of them in the standings have all beaten the Chiefs (Jaguars, Chargers, Bills). So, tiebreakers are unlikely to fall their way.
Things do not get any easier, either. In Week 12, the defending AFC champions host the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts, coming off a bye. Kansas City opened as a 3-5 point favorite at home.
Even if they win that game, they still have several tough games remaining. The Chiefs will play in Dallas on Thanksgiving, which will undoubtedly be difficult. They follow that up against the league's best defense in the Houston Texans.
Their final four games are against the Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders.
In order to make the playoffs, it will likely require at least 10 wins. That means the Chiefs must go at least 5-2 vs. those seven opponents.
