The Kansas City Chiefs have an AFC contest against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12, and the pressure is only mounting. The Chiefs have dropped two straight games and are in danger of falling below the .500 mark with another loss. Just when the franchise was looking for a bit of relief, Week 12 started on a bad note for Kansas City
The Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills opened the new slate with a Thursday Night Football showdown. And the Texans came away with a 23-19 win over the Bills, giving the former a 6-5 record and their third straight win.
Considering that the Chiefs have their backs against the wall, having another AFC team, whose fighting for the playoffs, pick up another conference win isn't ideal. Kansas City now has only -180 odds to make the NFL playoffs, per FanDuel Sportsbook, and while that's still a 64.3% implied probability, it isn't as close to being guaranteed as Chiefs Kingdom would like.
Chiefs' Road to Playoffs Is Harder After Texans' Week 12 TNF Win
The Texans are now 5-2 in AFC games, while the Chiefs are 2-4. These games are critical as the season begins to wind down, and tiebreakers play a massive role in who gets into the dance. Kansas City and Houston also play in Week 14 on Sunday Night Football, so any edge they get over the Chiefs isn't what is needed for Kansas City.
After the Week 12 TNF collision, here's a look at how the AFC playoff race is shaking out:
Playoff Seed | Team | Record | Win Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Denver Broncos | 9-2 | 81.8% |
2. | New England Patriots | 9-2 | 81.8% |
3. | Indianapolis Colts | 8-2 | 80.0% |
4. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-4 | 60.0% |
5. | Los Angeles Chargers | 7-4 | 63.6% |
6. | Buffalo Bills | 7-4 | 63.6% |
7. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 6-4 | 60.0% |
8. | Houston Texans | 6-5 | 54.5% |
9. | Kansas City Chiefs | 5-5 | 50.0% |
As of right now, the Chiefs are the ninth seed in the AFC, trailing Jacksonville and Houston. The Ravens are right behind them as the 10th seed with a 5-5, but they are hosting the 2-8 New York Jets on Sunday.
With a win and a Chiefs loss, they could also leapfrog them in the standings. Kansas City has its work cut out for it in Week 12 against an 8-2 Colts team, but the pressure is even higher with this Texans win.
The Chiefs' remaining schedule isn't a walk in the park, as they are set to play the Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Chargers, and Broncos. All of those teams are in the playoff race or are fighting to get in. Having any sort of hill to climb isn't what Kansas City wants.
It doesn't help that the Texans' defense looks fierce. They are first in the NFL in total defense (264.3) and scoring defense (16.5). In their win over Buffalo, they forced three turnovers and sacked quarterback Josh Allen eight times.
As the season progresses, a stifling defense is something that continues to show out, and based on how the Texans' unit has looked, it should give the Chiefs some worry. Kansas City already needed to beat Indianapolis this weekend to keep its playoff aspirations alive, and Houston's victory will only emphasize that fact.
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Odds update periodically and are subject to change.