The Kansas City Chiefs have enjoyed an unprecedented era of dominance, winning the AFC West for nine consecutive seasons. This historic streak began in 2016 with Alex Smith at quarterback and has since been powered by Patrick Mahomes, yielding three Super Bowl titles and five appearances. The world was a simpler place then: Taylor Swift still sang country music, the iPhone 6 was cutting edge, Interstellar and Guardians of the Galaxy was just hitting theaters.

However, all streaks must end, and the Chiefs’ incredible run is now seriously jeopardized this season. For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs (5-4) sit in third place in their own division at the season’s midpoint, trailing the Chargers (7-3) and the surprising Broncos (8-2). Denver has skillfully leveraged a softer schedule to claim the best record in the league, alongside the Colts and Patriots.

Divisional Wins Turns Chiefs Bye Week Into a Loss

The Chiefs were desperately in need of their bye week after losing to the Bills in what was Patrick Mahomes’s worst completion percentage game of his career (15-of-34 for 44.1%). Yet, the week off provided no relief. The victories by their two biggest rivals-the Broncos’ win on Thursday night against the Raiders and the Chargers’ victory on Sunday night against the Steelers-have ratcheted up the pressure on Kansas City.

The Chiefs must now be near-perfect over their remaining eight games, not just to extend their historic divisional streak, but to maintain their incredible playoff run. It would be bizarre to have a postseason without the Chiefs, a team that has reached the last seven consecutive AFC Championship Games and the last three Super Bowls.

As anticipated before the season, this year was never going to be easy. Coaches like Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton, with strong quarterbacks like the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, were always going to pose a threat.

Furthermore, the Chiefs’ first-half schedule was brutal, featuring five games against teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today: the Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars, Lions, and Bills. Despite being on their bye, the Chiefs surely felt the week like a double defeat as they watched their two main divisional competitors accumulate crucial wins.

Divisional Rematches Hold the Key to the Season

The “good” news for the Chiefs is that their fate remains largely in their own hands. They still have their two highly consequential games remaining against the Denver Broncos-a team Mahomes has historically dominated with a 13-1 record-and a home game against the Chargers. If the Chiefs can sweep these three critical divisional matchups (an easier task to say than to execute), they would immediately be positioned to reclaim the division lead.

Their remaining road games are also favorable, including trips to Dallas, Las Vegas, and Tennessee, three teams that have struggled significantly this season. Consequently, the second half of the season promises to be both highly entertaining and incredibly hard-fought for the Chiefs. The dynasty is facing its biggest test in the Mahomes era, and their path back to the top starts with winning their division games.