Chris Jones faced an emotional double blow after the Kansas City Chiefs‘ 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, learning both of Patrick Mahomes‘ season-ending ACL injury and the team’s postseason elimination during a press conference on December 14.
The defeat ended a decade-long postseason streak for Kansas City as for the first time since 2014, the Chiefs will not reach the NFL Playoffs, capping an abrupt end to their nine-year run of AFC West titles, which concluded last week with defeat to the Houston Texans.
It also sees their impressive run of seven consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances with Mahomes end, meaning they will not be in genuine Super Bowl contention for the first time since 2017.
Game recap and Mahomes’ injury
On the field, Kansas City had led 13-3 before the Chargers rallied as Mahomes left late with a torn ACL after completing 16 of 28 passes for 189 yards with one interception.
Backup Gardner Minshew entered for the final drive but threw an interception, cementing the Chiefs‘ playoff exit, and the news hit defensive tackle Chris Jones hard.
Initially optimistic, he stated, “We still have a fighting chance,” before realizing the situation from the somber mood of the journalists and reporters.
Hesitating mid-sentence, he asked, “Are we out of the playoffs?” The confirmation brought an accepting and defeated, “Ok.”
Season struggles and historic firsts
The Chiefs‘ postseason dreams effectively ended the moment Mahomes left the field. Minshew attempted to salvage hope but was intercepted by Derwin James, extinguishing any chance of a playoff berth as Justin Herbert kneeled the game out for the Chargers.
Snapping Kansas City‘s 12-season postseason streak, the team will now get some extra time off this winter while the coaching staff and front office reevaluate the season.
This season’s challenges included injuries, inconsistent play on the offensive line, and missed opportunities in close games as Kansas City lost seven of eight one-score matchups after dominating similar contests the previous year.
Highlighting the team’s difficulties despite talent and experience, issues with the running game and poor receiver plays from Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce saw crucial moments slip away.
For veterans like Mahomes, Jones, Creed Humphrey, Nick Bolton, and George Karlaftis, missing the postseason is a historic first as since 2018, the Chiefs have reached five Super Bowls, winning three, and made one AFC Championship Game.
Entering Week 15 with a 6-7 record, Kansas City‘s loss dropped them to 6-8 and with three games remaining against the Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders, the only goal now left is to end on a winning note.
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