KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs’ playoff hopes looked bleak when they trailed the Colts by 11 in the fourth quarter Sunday at Arrowhead.
But after a dramatic 23-20 win in overtime, the Chiefs (6-5) not only kept their playoff hopes alive, they now have some much-needed momentum as they face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in Dallas.
With three Super Bowl championships in the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid era, the Chiefs have won many “prove it” games. But Sunday’s thriller against the Colts could be the spark that ignites them the rest of the season.
“We’ve been in these games,” Mahomes said. “All five of our losses felt like these games where there were plays here and there that we didn’t make and we could’ve won all of them and we didn’t. And until you prove it, you can talk about it all day. But until you prove it, it’s not going to happen.
“And so we were able to prove we can win a game like this where it’s not always going great, where multiple guys got to step up, and you can make the big plays in the big moments, and I thought our guys did that. And hopefully we can build off that as we go through the rest of the season.”
The Cowboys (5-5-1) should also have a bounce in their step as they rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat the defending Super Bowl champ Eagles by a field goal on Sunday. The short week for both teams doesn’t give them much time to prepare or recover but the Chiefs will treat it as routine as possible.
“It’s the same preparation,” said Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice. “We just have to focus on the next game in front of us.”
The Chiefs (6-5) are still on the outside looking in of the AFC playoff bracket and they trail the Broncos (9-2) and Chargers (7-3) in the division. But Reid said the team has kept a positive attitude all season and that helped against the Colts and he’s hoping it carries over the rest of the way.
“Nobody has been hanging their head and going ‘Oh, no, it’s over,” Reid said. “That’s not been the mentality within our building. Everybody had a piece in it and that carried over to the field.”
INJURY UPDATES
The Chiefs likely will be without right guard Trey Smith (ankle) and tight end Noah Gray (concussion) against the Cowboys. Neither practiced Monday, but running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) was a full participant.
