The Kansas City Chiefs may have lost to the Dallas Cowboys on a pivotal Thanksgiving Day clash, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t positives to be taken away from it. Their offense was able to keep up with the Cowboys’ offense, and they didn’t shy away from aggressive play calling in order to give them their best chance of winning.

Patrick Mahomes had one of his best games this season, throwing for four touchdown passes and using his legs to pick up crucial yardage whenever they needed it. His team still lost, but it was in no way his fault. Their defense needs to tighten up if they want to sneak into the playoffs, or Mahomes will have to play out of his mind to overcome his team’s weaknesses.

The Path Ahead for Mahomes

Zachary Pereles writes for CBS Sports, and he put every potential playoff team in tiers based on how much he trusts them to go on a deep run. Despite the Chiefs’ glaring mistakes, Pereles believes Mahomes can will his team into the postseason based on his stellar play alone.

“The Chiefs are currently 6-6 and 10th in the AFC. They are very much fighting for their playoff lives, with a Week 14 “Sunday Night Football” showdown with the Texans a near must-win. And yet they have Patrick Mahomes, who is enough reason to think they can not only stage a late-season rally, but be a factor in the Super Bowl conversation”, said Pereles.

Since their season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes has done everything in his power to secure victories for the Chiefs. While he’s firmly out of the MVP conversation, he will have to surpass the play of the leading candidates for the award if he wants another chance at a Super Bowl ring.

“Mahomes was sensational in a 31-28 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys. He is second in expected points added per play this season. He’s been to the Super Bowl five times in seven full seasons as a starter”.

Mahomes’ difficult path ahead starts at home against the Houston Texans, which, despite their daunting defense, should give him some confidence. He’s 3 – 1 against the Texans in his career, and CJ Stroud hasn’t been able to best him in any of their quarterback duels.

His connection with his receivers has been great so far, but they’ll need to get Xavier Worthy the ball more if they want to take their offense to even greater heights. He gives them explosiveness on every play, and they’re going to need to have their high-flying offense of the past if they want any chance of sneaking into the playoffs.