TL;DR
- Kansas City Chiefs' season is on the line in Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts.
- A loss would be devastating to the Chiefs' 2025 outlook and playoff hopes.
- Pete Prisco believes the Chiefs will secure a win with a desperate, season-saving showing.
- This game represents significant pressure for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' dynasty.
There's no other way to put it -- the Kansas City Chiefs' season is on the line in Week 12.
Welcoming the rested 8-2 Indianapolis Colts, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' dire situation means anything other than a win would be devastating to the 2025 outlook.
Having already fallen out of contention for the division title, the Chiefs are also nowhere near securing a playoff berth as of this moment.
A win changes that, and a loss, well, you can nearly start preparing for 2026 Chiefs Kingdom.
Kansas City's fate isn't sealed, and CBS Sports' Pete Prisco believes that when Sunday's decisive moments arrive, the Chiefs will secure a win in Week 12.
"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," Prisco writes. "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."
More: Chiefs fans will love Patrick Mahomes' quote about season-defining game vs. Colts
Mahomes' magic is crucial for The Chiefs' success now more than ever
With no prior experience in a situation this precarious since Mahomes became the starting quarterback, the Chiefs face a genuine threat of not making the postseason.
Indeed, some still believe the Chiefs will secure the seventh seed (I'm among them), yet it's undeniable that despite all their playoff and Super Bowl victories, one could contend this represents the greatest pressure Mahomes has faced in his career, considering the circumstances.
Still seen as a team that can win the Super Bowl "if" they make it to the playoffs, the Chiefs' entire 2025 season could very well come down to these next four quarters.
Having been counted out before, the Chiefs have rallied and come through with flying colors.
Can they do it when the entire NFL world is ready to see the latest great dynasty fall?
Prisco thinks so, and I do too.
More Chiefs news:
- Chiefs' record in one-score games the key to dynasty downfall
- Chiefs take huge tumble in NFL power rankings amid 'identity crisis'
- When did Chiefs last miss the playoffs? Patrick Mahomes in danger of snapping decade-long streak
- Chiefs' record in one-score games the key to dynasty downfall