The Kansas City Chiefs were at a crossroads for their 2025 NFL season, 5-5 and hosting the 8-2 Colts in Week 12. A third consecutive loss would have dropped them below.500 for the third time. A win would put them back in prime position to earn at least an AFC wild-card berth.
The Chiefs looked like they were done, down 20-9 to Indianapolis in the fourth quarter. With their fortunes flipped to going 0-5 in one-score games this season, a rally seemed like it would still fall short.
Instead, Patrick Mahomes, Kareem Hurt and the defense did everything they could to dominate the fourth quarter and overtime for an improbable 23-20 overtime victory.
With Kansas City up to 6-5, that's bad news for the rest of the AFC — here's what the win means for the Chiefs playoff picture.
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Chiefs playoff picture
The Chiefs were on the ropes, ready for an unprecedented postseason-less knockout with Mahomes. Although the Chiefs didn't move up into a wild-card spot, still No. 8, now behind the 6-5 Steelers and 6-5 Ravens, it sets them up to surge into the playoffs over the final six weeks.
Now consider the Chiefs losses: Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars, Bills and Broncos. Those were all respectable defeats to five teams all in current NFL playoff position. After the Chiefs were slow out of the gate at home, the last three were on the road. All accounted for those five straight one-possession losses before the Chiefs' streak snapped with the field-goal win over the Colts.
The Chiefs, at 6-5, are only a half-game out of the No. 7 and third wild-card spot, held by the 6-4 Jaguars. The 7-4 Chargers and 7-4 Bills are only one game ahead.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | New England Patriots | 10-2 |
| 2 | Denver Broncos | 9-2 |
| 3 | Indianapolis Colts | 8-3 |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens | 6-5 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | 7-4 |
| 6 | Buffalo Bills | 7-4 |
| 7 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 6-4 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-5 |
| 9 | Houston Texans | 6-5 |
| 10 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6-5 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | 4-7 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | 3-8 |
Chiefs schedule
Now let's look at the Chiefs' remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, vs. Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders. Kansas City gets key division home rematches with Los Angeles and Denver. The team will be considerable favorites against Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas.
The Chiefs' three-month gauntlet is finished. The law of close games says it will tip back them to edging the Chargers and Broncos. With how their offense and defense played in the final two periods against the Colts, they can beat anyone and maybe avoid more than one or two one-score games, period.
| Week | Opponent |
| 13 | at Cowboys |
| 14 | vs. Texans |
| 15 | vs. Chargers |
| 16 | at Titans |
| 17 | vs. Broncos |
| 18 | at Raiders |
MORE NFL WEEK 12:
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- How Steelers' loss, Ravens' win flips leaderboard in AFC North
- Lions, Bears, Packers all picks up wins to maintain pace in NFC North
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba breaks Seahawks' single-season receiving record in just 11 games
- Amon-Ra St. Browns trolls Giants with Victor Cruz salsa celebration
Now the Chiefs are battle-tested. They wouldn't have broken through in desperation against the Colts had they not failed in the recent close games against the Broncos and Bills.
Catching Denver in the AFC West race remains a tall order, three games back and the chance to only make up one head-to-head. But there should be every expectation the Chiefs can get all the way up to the top wild card, and draw the beatable AFC North champions, the Ravens or Steelers.
If the Chiefs get into the playoffs now, they would be more dangerous, given that they have had playoff-like games for much of the second half. Mahomes needed just one familiar comeback breakthrough.
Now that the door is open, no one can doubt the Chiefs' chances of making themselves at home deep in the AFC playoffs again.