The Kansas City Chiefs know the urgency of their situation as it pertains to the division and their playoff spot.
At 5-4, the margin for error is nearly gone, and with the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos up next, who are 8-2, the importance of taking down Bo Nix and Co. Isn't lost on Patrick Mahomes.
Normally, by this time of the year, the Chiefs have a multi-game lead at the summit of the division, but this time, it's Denver with a nice cushion, and Mahomes knows his team will be walking into a buzzsaw on Sunday.
But they're ready for it.
“They're first in the division and they have a couple games on us, so it's huge for the division,” Mahomes said. “That's always our first goal is win the division, and it's a really good football team. There's no way around it, so we have to go out there and play our best football, and I don't think we've done that yet.
"So, after this bye, let's go out there, put it a great week of practice together, and find a way to win in a hostile environment against a great football team.”
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Having won the division for the past nine straight seasons, this is new territory for the Chiefs; they aren't used to chasing.
The Broncos, at 8-2, are a couple of games ahead of the 5-4 Chiefs, but if there is a small glimmer of hope, Kansas City still has to play the Broncos twice this season.
Win both of them, and the Chiefs are right in the thick of the AFC West talk. Oh, and there is the Los Angeles Chargers, too, who sit at 7-3 and have already beaten the Chiefs.
So, both the Broncos and Chargers would need to stumble significantly, while the Chiefs go on a winning streak. Is the AFC West out of reach? Not yet, but lose on Sunday, and the task to win it for a 10th straight season becomes nearly impossible.
Mahomes is right. This Week 11 clash is huge for Kansas City.
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