The Kansas City Chiefs' playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. At 6-6, the team has to win out on the year and hope for quite a bit of help from other possible playoff-bound teams in the AFC. It's not a great situation to be in but the Chiefs only have themselves to blame for being in this spot.
Even if the Chiefs are able to beat the Houston Texans this weekend at Arrowhead, their playoff chances still aren't great. With a win, the Chiefs' chances of getting into the postseason would sit at 51%. Sure, that's above the 50% chance but barely.
A win might barely keep them afloat as a realistic contender but a loss will remove any doubt. The Chiefs would have an 11% chance of making the postseason if they drop their Week 14 game to Houston. Not good but again, this team only has themselves to blame for being in this situation.
Chiefs' playoff odds sit at just 51% with win vs. Texans
Now, it's worth noting that while their playoff odds won't be high with a win, that's step one toward getting into the dance. The Chiefs cannot afford to drop another game, especially against a team they might be fighting for a wild card spot with. That's already happened to them with Buffalo, Jacksonville, and Los Angeles. Houston cannot be added to that list.
This weekend's game is not going to be an easy task, however. The Texans defense is for real and the team overall is peaking at the absolute worst time for Kansas City. C.J. Stroud and the offense are taking care of the football and scoring enough points to help the Texans get the win behind their stout defense.
The good news for the Chiefs here is that they'll host the Texans and, despite the team's shortcomings this year, they've been quite good at Arrowhead Stadium. The bad news is that, while a win is a step in the right direction, this year's Chiefs team simply might run out of time when it comes to making the postseason.
For the first time since the 2014 season, Chiefs fans might be forced to say "Mock draft season" earlier than the playoffs.