The latest
The Big Five: Most dangerous teams currently outside the playoff picture | Yardbarker
2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5, ninth in AFC)
Remaining opponents stats | Record: 36-35-1 (.500) • Currently in playoff field: 3 • Above .500: 3
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently laid out a convincing argument why this year’s Chiefs squad isn’t much different from last year’s team that went 15-2. Other than a staggering regression in one-score games and special teams lapses, Kansas City is good enough to go on a run and crash
the playoffs.
The Chiefs’ toughest remaining games (Colts, Chargers, Broncos) are at home. They also have a head-to-head with the Texans at Arrowhead. It’s far too early to write Kansas City’s obituary. The AFC West might be out of play, yet NFL Next Gen Stats still gives the Chiefs a 52 percent chance of making the playoffs. However, NFL.com’s Ali Bhanpuri noted in a recently column that Kansas City’s odds will drop to less than 33 percent with a loss this Sunday to Indianapolis.
Making the Case for Every 2025 NFL Playoff Contender and Pretender | Bleacher Report
Case for Contender: They’re a juggernaut, having made five of the last six Super Bowls thanks to their future Hall of Fame coach-quarterback combo. And despite a rough start to 2025, they remain in the thick of things with a fairly soft schedule down the stretch.
Case for Pretender: The juggernaut is a mere 5-5 following a critical Week 11 loss to the Broncos, leaving them essentially four games out of first place with seven games remaining.
Verdict: Contender. The Chiefs have the third-best scoring margin (plus-73) in the conference, as they rank in the top 10 in terms of both scoring offense and defense. The breaks haven’t gone their way, but don’t be surprised if they finish out the schedule 6-1 or 7-0.
Pete Prisco’s Week 12 NFL picks: Chiefs upend Colts, Cowboys upset Eagles | CBS Sports
This is the game of the week, featuring a Colts team coming off a bye against a Chiefs team that can’t afford another loss. The Colts have rolled on offense this season, but this is a spot where the Kansas City defense steps up and plays well. The Chiefs win it with a desperate season-saving showing as Patrick Mahomes bounces back.
Pick: Chiefs 26, Colts 20 | Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
2026 NFL mock draft: Miller’s first-round pick predictions | ESPN
15. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon*
The decline of Kansas City’s offense can be blamed on a few things, but the lack of an explosive run game and tight end Travis Kelce‘s decreased role are two prime factors. Unless Love somehow falls to this spot, I don’t see the Chiefs going running back in Round 1 — especially after whiffing on Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round in 2020 — but they could target Kelce’s replacement here. Sadiq’s ability to shake coverage and pick up yards after the catch would allow him to thrive in Kelce’s role. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior has only 30 catches this season but has scored six touchdowns.
Around the NFL
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. to undergo season-ending surgery to repair partially torn ACL | NFL.com
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn left ACL he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, the team announced Wednesday.
In corresponding roster moves, Atlanta will sign Easton Stick to the active roster and add Kyle Trask to its practice squad, coach Raheem Morris told reporters.
Penix was placed on injured reserve, which sidelines a player a minimum of four games, earlier this week as the Falcons said they were “working through the medical process to determine the severity of the injury.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Upon Further Review: 3 thoughts about the Chiefs’ loss to the Broncos
1. Bringing back the deep passing game was ill-advised
Even when Alex Smith was Kansas City’s quarterback, head coach Andy Reid would often take a deep shot in the first few plays of a game. It rarely worked, but the idea was to get the defense committed to defending against it.
In Sunday’s game, Kansas City called three straight deep passes on its opening drive. All three fell incomplete, forcing the team to punt after just four plays.
That was well beyond putting a play in the opening script to keep the defense honest.
In Sunday’s game, quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempted 10 passes described as “deep” in the matchup’s official record. Only one of them was completed: a 61-yard third-quarter strike to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton that set up Kansas City’s first touchdown. Another was intercepted, ending a drive that would have put at least three points on the board — and led to Denver’s first touchdown. Two more drew pass interference penalties that gained a total of 87 yards.
Mahomes’ passer rating on these throws was a horrifying 12.9. If they could be removed from his 29 completions on 45 attempts for 276 yards, one touchdown and one interception — which gave him an ugly rating of 79.5 — he would have ended up with an adequate 101.8 rating. And Kansas City probably would have left Denver with a victory.
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