Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Drew Ogletree (85) and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) meet on field after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

How the Chiefs Saved Their Season

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Nov 25, 2025 10:33 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs desperately needed a win to get them back on track. They were on a two-game skid heading into Week 12, and a 0 - 5 record in one-score games this season. The Chiefs were the definition of impotency in 2025; they couldn't get out of their own way and didn't look like the team that was just representing the AFC in the Super Bowl a year ago.

However, they got their much-needed get-back against the Indianapolis Colts, who held the lead for the enterity of this game. The Chiefs won by the skin of their teeth, but it showed that they can beat good teams in high stakes, which is what they needed to get their mojo back. It was do-or-die for the Chiefs, and while it wasn't perfect, they came out victorious, and that's all that really matters.

NFL Week 12 Overreactions

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Tyler Sullivan is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he wrote an article breaking down some of the biggest overreactions from Week 12 and explaining if they had any weight to them. The notion that the Chiefs saved their season with a win over the Colts isn't something he believes was exaggerated, as he agrees that this was a must-win game for the Chiefs, as plenty of their games will be moving forward.

"The Chiefs were in real danger of Week 12 being the week where the first nail in their playoff coffin was struck. Not only were they coming into this matchup on a two-game losing skid, but those defeats were against key AFC rivals in the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos to drop them to .500", said Sullivan.

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Patrick Mahomes was notably outperformed in both of those devastating losses, so he needed to get back into form if he wanted to bring the Chiefs back into contention. He didn't throw for a touchdown, but he threw for more than 300 yards, and his arm kept them in the game when nothing else could.

"A loss to the Colts in Week 12 would've sent them under .500, further out of the playoff picture and owning a measly 2-5 conference record (a pivotal tiebreaker). Instead, K.C. pulled off an overtime victory, and suddenly it feels like the momentum is shifting in the Chiefs' favor".

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

One can't keep Mahomes and Andy Reid down for too long, as the Chiefs have shown how dangerous they can be if they heat up at the right time. Their next game will be on the road against the Dallas Cowboys, in a Thanksgiving Day showdown they can't afford to lose.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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