NFL Week 14 panic meter: Chiefs, Colts sounding the alarm

Week 14 in the NFL taught us a lot about which teams are Super Bowl contenders and which teams are nothing more than pretenders. Speaking of those pretenders, let's take a look at a few teams in freefall and rank them on the panic meter. 

Kansas City Chiefs

Panic meter rating: 10/10

The reigning AFC champions have officially become the first team to don a 10/10 rating on the panic meter. After losing to the Houston Texans, 20-10, on Sunday Night Football, the Chiefs are now 6-7 and in the 10th spot in the AFC standings. According to NFL.com, the Chiefs have just a 15 percent chance of making the playoffs. 

This is almost hard to comprehend, considering Patrick Mahomes has been healthy all season, but injuries and uncharacteristic mistakes have doomed the Chiefs in 2025. The Chiefs need to win their last four games and hope for some help above them. The way this season has gone, that seems highly unlikely. 

Indianapolis Colts

Panic meter rating: 9.5/10

Just over a month ago, the Colts were 7-1 and projected to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Fast forward to Dec. 8, and Indianapolis is 8-5 and on the outside looking in at the playoffs. To make matters worse, quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 14. Rookie Riley Leonard, who threw for 145 yards and an interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars, is the only active QB left on Indy's roster.

The Colts are still alive in the AFC playoff race, but they close the season with four tough games against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Jaguars and Texans. With Leonard taking over under center, the season already feels over. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Panic meter rating: 5.5/10

The Buccaneers lost to the New Orleans Saints as 7.5-point favorites on Sunday, dropping them to 7-6 and a tie with the Carolina Panthers for first place in the NFC South. Tampa Bay has lost four of its last five games, and it ranks 25th in the NFL in offensive EPA per play and 29th in defensive EPA per play since Week 10. 

Although it feels like the sky is falling in Tampa, the Bucs still control their own destiny with two games against the Panthers left on the schedule. Star wide receiver Mike Evans could also return to the lineup in Week 15.