The Kansas City Chiefs went into Week 12 with their backs against the wall. They had a matchup with the Indianapolis Colts and a loss would have pushed the Chiefs sub.500, putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy. They came away with an overtime win.
The Chiefs took that momentum on the road for a Thanksgiving game against the Dallas Cowboys. Kansas City came into the week with a 6-5 record and sitting in the No. 10 spot in the AFC's playoff picture. With only seven teams making the playoffs per conference, Kansas City needed a win to stay in the hunt for a Wild Card spot after winning the AFC West and earning an automatic playoff bid for the last nine years.
Dallas held strong at home and finished off the 31-28 win, kneeling the clock out after the two-minute warning. Kansas City moves to 6-6 on the year, the latest that the Chiefs have been.500 in a season since 2012.
Here is more on the Chiefs' chance to make the 2025 postseason after a loss in Week 13.
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Chiefs playoff picture
The loss to the Cowboys moves the Chiefs to 6-5. Kansas City doesn't move in the playoff standings. The Chiefs will head into Week 14 sitting in the No. 10 spot in the AFC, and they don't have a chance to move with the rest of the action in the conference. The Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers could both lose their respective matchups, but they would both have the tiebreaker advantage over the Chiefs with record in conference games.
| 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 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 7-4 |
| 7 | Buffalo Bills | 7-4 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-5 |
| 9 | Houston Texans | 6-5 |
| 10 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6-6 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | 4-7 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | 3-8 |
| 13 | Cleveland Browns | 3-8 |
| 14 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-9 |
| 15 | New York Jets | 2-9 |
| 16 | Tennessee Titans | 1-10 |
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Chiefs remaining schedule
Kansas City has an interesting schedule on paper the rest of the way. The Chiefs return home to host the Texans in Week 14. Houston, which beat the Bills in Week 12, sits ahead of Kansas City in the playoff hunt.
The Chiefs then have four games remaining, and they look like two tough games and two trap games. Kansas City has two tough divisional games left, but the good news is that both are at home. The Chiefs need these wins not only for the playoff standings but also for tiebreakers, to give them a better chance if it comes down to it. Kansas City also faces the Tennessee Titans and the Las Vegas Raiders. Both teams are expected to play for pride with nothing to lose, so the Chiefs will need to avoid the trap game.
If Kansas City can win out, it has a good chance of making the playoffs. A loss doesn't eliminate the Chiefs by any means, but any more losses just mean that the franchise needs that much more help from other teams around the league.
| Week | Opponent |
| 14 | vs. Texans |
| 15 | vs. Chargers |
| 16 | at Titans |
| 17 | vs. Broncos |
| 18 | at Raiders |
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