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For the first time in his career as a starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes will not only fail to reach the AFC Championship game — he won’t even play in the postseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, losing 16-13 to the Los Angeles Chargers in what was a must-win game. The Chiefs’ loss, combined with wins from the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, officially erased any hopes Kansas City had of making the postseason.
The Chiefs now won’t participate in the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Mahomes has been the team’s starter since 2018, and had advanced to at least the conference championship game from that year through last season. Kansas City has also represented the AFC in five of the last six Super Bowls, winning three.
The Chiefs fell to 6-8 with Sunday’s loss, and their last three games of the season will now be effectively meaningless.
Kansas City was leading Sunday’s game 13-3 before giving up the final 13 points of the game. The Chiefs were driving for a potential game-tying or go-ahead score in the final two minutes in the fourth quarter when Mahomes exited after re-aggravating a left knee injury.
Kansas City still had an opportunity to tie or win after Mahomes left, but backup quarterback Gardner Minshew threw an interception on the team’s final possession.
Mahomes finished the loss against Los Angeles completing 16-of-28 passes for 189 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. Mahomes’s passer rating of 62.9 was his third-worst of the season.
The Chiefs losing to the Chargers in a one-score game was a microcosm of their struggles this season.
Last year, including the playoffs, Kansas City was 12-0 in games decided by one score or less. After Sunday’s defeat, the Chiefs fell to 1-7 in one-score games this season.
Mahomes has also failed to reach his lofty standards this year. Entering this week, his passer rating and completion percentage were both his lowest since his rookie season, when he played in only one game.
Kansas City still has three games left — on the road against the Tennessee Titans, at home against the Denver Broncos, and back on the road to play the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18.
In addition to missing the playoffs, the Chiefs have also failed to win the AFC West for the first time since 2015.
