What’s Wright - Best Of: Nick Wright's CHIEFS ROLLERCOASTER season week-by-week reaction | NFL

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd

"What's Wright - Best Of: Nick Wright's CHIEFS ROLLERCOASTER season week-by-week reaction | NFL"

Date: December 27, 2025
Host: Nick Wright (with Demanze as cohost)

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Overview

This “Best Of” special stitches together Nick Wright's week-by-week reactions and analysis of the Kansas City Chiefs' tumultuous 2025 NFL season. With Wright’s signature blend of bold, opinionated takes and deep football knowledge (plus a deep personal attachment to the Chiefs), the episode covers high preseason hopes, unexpected struggles, wild emotional swings, and ultimately, the catastrophic ending of the Patrick Mahomes era (as it was), punctuated by Mahomes' devastating, season-ending injury. The discussion is both insightful and passionate, balancing clinical football breakdowns with colorful commentary and humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Preseason Hype and Chiefs Expectations

• Chiefs Over/Under Wins:

  • Wright confidently picks the over on 11.5 wins for the Chiefs, calling it "the easiest bet every single year" with Andy Reid and Mahomes at the helm.
  • "12 and 5 would disappoint me. I expect 13 and 4 or better. They are not going 11 and 6." (Nick Wright, 02:53)

• Super Bowl Exacta Picks:

  • Wright jokes about annual predictions, landing this year on Chiefs vs. Buccaneers at +5500.
  • Discusses the frequency of Chiefs playoff rematches, connecting the narrative dots to past Super Bowl duels.

• Legendary Mahomes vs. Mayfield College Game:

  • Recalls the epic 2016 Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma shootout:
    • Mahomes: 734 yards, 5 TDs (on 88 attempts!)
    • Mayfield: 545 yards, 7 TDs

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Early Season Struggles: Offense Stalls, Issues Emerge

(04:51 – 16:10)

• Running Game Troubles:

  • Pacheco appears diminished after injury, lacking vision and explosiveness.
  • Backfield depth is lacking—Elijah Mitchell "nothing's happened," Rashard Smith a seventh-round rookie who isn't a solution.
  • Wright suggests trading for a running back from Miami (even more than for Tyreek Hill).

• Offensive Line Wobbles, Mahomes Under Duress:

  • Despite strong individual O-line pieces, Mahomes doesn’t trust pass protection; forced early into "playoff Mahomes" scrambling, risking injury and burning playoff-only tricks early.
  • "I despise that...it puts [Mahomes] in jeopardy..." (Nick Wright, ~11:30)

• Kelce Misfiring:

  • Miscommunications, drops, and a game-changing interception off a bobble—damaging if not yet deeply concerning.

• Defense Can’t Rush Four:

  • Struggles to generate pressure without blitzing. Rookies and some veterans (Carloftis, Minnehou) called out to step up; too often Chris Jones is “on an island.”

• Chiefs' Status in the Division & AFC:

  • Wright soberly notes they don’t deserve “super bowl favorite” status after early losses, but playoff panic is overstated.
  • Reminds fans of Mahomes’ 2021 slump and recovery—offering historical perspective on slow starts.
  • "I believe that's the moment Patrick snapped out of his funk. I believe that is the moment that the Chiefs will be the Chiefs again..." (Nick Wright tells story, 18:00)

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Midseason Turnaround & Media Narrative

• Stabilizing Wins, Media Overreaction:
  • After ugly wins over the Giants and Ravens, Wright lambasts critics writing the Chiefs’ obituary.
  • "They have a Hall of Fame head coach, a Hall of Fame caliber D coordinator, and the most talented quarterback to ever live..." (Nick Wright, 24:00)
  • Admits the team isn't "fully back"—the offense still stutters, defense still can’t rush—but Chiefs look like themselves again with a "competent receiving core."
  • Critiques overreaction: "It was embarrassing and it was so fickle and so myopic..." (Nick Wright, 24:00)

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Highs, Lows, and Emotional Toll

• Emotional Candidness:

  • Nick speaks to the personal impact of the rollercoaster, from sleepless nights to domestic clues his wife is worried about him.
  • “Hopefully this will be my catharsis…” (Demanze/Nick, 29:03)

• Frustrating Losses & What Sets Chiefs Apart:

  • Chiefs "don’t lose games like that" after blowing a two-TD lead to the Jags.
  • Stressed the rarity of the Chiefs beating themselves with turnovers and noting stats that place the loss in historical context (first in four years to win turnover battle and lose). (30:05–32:32)

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Return to Form (“The World is Right Again”)

• Back to Dominance

  • After a statement win:
    • Mahomes regains MVP favorite status
    • Chiefs are Vegas’ Super Bowl favorites
    • Wright relishes the quick turnaround that forced media critics to “eat it immediately”:
    • “All is right in the world again. Pretty happy this one...” (Demanze, 32:32)

• Ref Whining & Media Scrutiny:

  • Lampoons Detroit Lions players and fans for “whining” about officiating, referencing a much-cited but misunderstood study about playoff penalties involving the Chiefs (36:16).

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The AFC Gauntlet and Playoff Push

• Crucial Stretch:

  • Buffalo, Denver, and Colts on the schedule—these weeks would decide playoff seeding and division races.
  • Chiefs defense praised for shutting down Jonathan Taylor and the Colts:
    • “...just a remarkable job by that Chiefs defense.” (Demanze/Nick, 44:14–46:28)

• Defensive Struggles Persist:

  • Even as Mahomes performs statistically at the top of the league, the Chiefs struggle to get off the field on third downs, particularly in losses to the Cowboys, Chargers, Broncos.
  • “...poorly timed turnovers by the Chiefs in previous games and the total inability...to make impact plays on defense might wreck the season. It’s very precarious. It’s the most precarious it’s ever been in Kansas City.” (Demanze, 65:20)

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Catastrophic Ending: Mahomes Injured, Dynasty Derailed

(75:10 – 89:00)

• Mahomes’ Season-Ending Injury:

  • With the Chiefs needing to win out (and get help) for the playoffs, Mahomes goes down with a torn ACL and LCL.
  • Wright reflects:
    • Expresses sympathy for Mahomes, but also frames it as a cruel normalcy in sports.
    • “It was the Chiefs’ turn to have the year from hell and it was sadly Patrick’s turn to roll craps…” (Nick Wright, 77:06)
    • Recalls how Brady, Manning, Rodgers, Burrow, Lamar and fan bases endured similar gut-punches.

• End of a Chapter:

  • Accepts this as a line of demarcation—a “before and after the ACL” moment for Mahomes’ career and the franchise.

• Perspective & Legacy:

  • Puts the run in context:
    • “As good of a seven year run as any football fan base has ever gotten. Seven years of conference championship games, five super bowl appearances, three super bowl victories.”
  • Points out the challenge of sustained greatness and necessity for structural team changes (drafting, developing, injury management).

• Looking to the Future:

  • “Do I think [Mahomes] comes back week one next year? Yes. What will the team around him look like is the question.”
  • Acknowledges the need to build back stronger around Mahomes.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “They are not going 11 and 6. The Chiefs. We don't need to spend more time on it. Everyone knew I was going Chiefs over because it is the right bet.” (Nick Wright, 02:53)

• On Mahomes’ early ‘playoff mode’ running:
  “It has forced him to activate playoff running Mahomes in weeks one and two. And I despise that because...it puts him in jeopardy.” (Nick Wright, ~11:30)

• On early season “panic”:
  “Right now the Chiefs don't deserve to be anything close to super bowl favorites. ...Anyone trying to peddle, ‘wow, should they be worried about making the playoffs?’ I think has lost their mind.” (Nick Wright, 15:40)

• On Personal Investment:
  “I didn't really sleep last night... Now you know how I can tell your mom knows I'm in a teetering emotional place…” (Demanze/Nick, 28:21)

• On devastating Mahomes injury:
  “It was the chief's turn to have the year from hell and it was sadly Patrick's turn to roll craps and he was fighting through a knee injury the last few weeks. ... There is a cost to the 20 game seasons. There is a cost to the offensive line injuries. There is a cost to...being in must win, gotta have it elimination games this early in the season.” (Nick Wright, 77:06)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Confident preseason Chiefs predictions: 02:53–04:39
• Legendary Mahomes-Mayfield college stats: 05:32–07:30
• Early red flags - running game, O-line, Kelce struggles: 07:31–14:55
• Division odds and Mahomes-centric turnaround story: 16:10–20:05
• Media ‘overreaction’ after slow start: 24:00–26:30
• Blown lead vs. Jags, historical oddity: 30:05–32:32
• Refereeing/“Chiefs bias” backlash: 35:50–38:29
• Midseason playoff gauntlet, defensive standouts: 44:14–46:28
• Chiefs playoff math & Mahomes injury fallout: 75:10–89:00
• Franchise perspective & future: 81:22–87:30

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Tone & Style

Nick Wright’s delivery is a blend of passionate fandom, hard-won football expertise, and a comedic, dramatic flair. He swings from statistical breakdowns to personal anecdotes, wielding both bravado and raw honesty. Demanze provides grounding reactions and sets up Wright for extended rants and stories.

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For New Listeners: Why This Episode Matters

This episode offers a masterclass in how expectation, struggle, and crisis intertwine in sports—especially for a newly minted NFL dynasty. Nick Wright’s candor and perspective is both cathartic and insightful for Chiefs fans (and NFL fans at large), capturing the stakes, heartbreak, and cyclical nature of football greatness.

Learn how one of football’s greatest runs hits a wall, what it means for a transcendent star to go down, and how a franchise must now reckon with both its immediate failures and its future.

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Transcript

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The Amazon ad [e-mail] our-story welcome to the Best of the Week for what's Right with Nick Wright. The Best takes And moments from this week on the show. Enjoy. Now to the easiest bet. Every single year the Chiefs hitting their over under Andy Reid. It has failed to happen one time and they made up for it that year by winning the Super Bowl. The Chiefs win total getting even money over 11 and a half wins. That's an easy one. I will take over 11 and a half every day with Kansas City. 12 and 5 would disappoint me. I expect 13 and 4 or better. They are not going 11 and 6 the Chiefs. We don't need to spend more time on it. Everyone knew I was going Chiefs over because it is the right bet. I am going over with the Kansas City Chiefs. Our annual tradition super bowl exacta. Three years ago we had Chiefs, Niners and the Niners found themselves in the conference championship game. Last two years ago we had Chiefs, Cowboys and the Cowboys found themselves with 12 wins. Last year we had Chiefs Bears and the Bears had a season from hell and missed the playoffs. This year the super bowl exacta at 55 to 1 is. Drum roll please Demons A we got.

[Nick Wright]

Kansas City versus Tampa Bay in the Super bowl exact plus 5500.

[Demons A]

How about the. And then obviously spoiler Super bowl exactly was a winner, right?

[Nick Wright]

Kansas City to defeat Tampa Bay at plus 11,000.

[Demons A]

Indeed. So demon Day. Here's something I didn't even think about when I made this pick. Brew mentioned it. The Chiefs with Mahomes have been to five Super Bowls. All rematches. Played Philly twice, played San Francisco twice. The one other team they played Tampa Bay. Another super bowl rematch. Bake show against Patrick revisiting the greatest, the craziest college football game ever played. Do you know about their college football game Demons A Homes and Baker at.

[Nick Wright]

All against each other? I'm sure they okay each other up.

[Demons A]

Hold on. Well, let me demonte. So let me just tell you real quick. 2016 because they have played in the playoffs before. All right, so the final score to Monze. Let me. I'm just actually. Hold on. Let me just go to Patrick Mahomes college stats. Final score was 66 to 59. So that gives you a little bit of a preview. It was Texas Tech where Baker started against Oklahoma and. Hold on. Where is it? Here it is. The final stats are as follows. Joe Mixon was in the game. He ran for 260. Okay. And four touchdowns. But that wasn't the story. The story was Baker. Baker was 27 of 36 only through 36 passes for 545 yards, seven touchdowns, no picks.

[Nick Wright]

Jesus.

[Demons A]

Okay, okay. Patrick Patrick was 52 of 88. Oh he was sleep for 734 yards, five touchdowns. Well no, they did have a running back go 12 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns. That running back's name was Patrick Mahomes. Homes in that game combined for 810 yards, seven touchdowns, one pick bake show in that game never ran the ball. Threw for 545 and seven touchdowns on just 36 attempts. Mahomes threw it 88 times. It is an all time legendary college football game.

[Nick Wright]

Sounds like a fun one.

[Demons A]

Yeah, yeah. October 22, 2016 all timer and so they played in the playoffs before Patrick got hurt against the when Baker was there in the Browns and yeah that's my that is Super Bowl super bowl exacta. I am not going to sit here and act like everything's fine with the Chiefs right now. It isn't. There are some I want to focus on the concerning things that have occurred in both games. Okay. So for instance, week one the secondary which has been a strength of this team looked hugely problematic against Herbert and the Chargers. Week two, I thought the secondary looked really good. Right. So like that's one good game, one bad game. I'm not focusing on that. Here is what through two weeks looks problematic and I don't know where the solve for it is. The Chiefs running game is as inept right now as it's ever been since Patrick's been there. Pacheco sadly just does not look like the same player he was before he broke his leg. And what's odd about it is his biggest problem through two weeks doesn't seem to be explosion. It seems to be vision and hitting the right hole. You wouldn't think that is related to a lower body injury, but he just hasn't been effective. Kareem Hunt is who he is. He if you need one yard way more often than not he will get it for you. But he has no chance of getting you 10. And they brought in Elijah Mitchell. Nothing's happened there. They drafted Rashard Smith in the I think seventh round. He, he's seventh round rookie. Like they just right now don't have the horses in the running back room and that is a spot that I would not at all hate for them to be active on in the trade market. I think we have there has been a lot of discussion of should the Chiefs trade for Tyreek Hill. The wide receivers are coming back. Okay. I if I were doing a trade with Miami I might be equally if not more interested in Devon H. And like I think There are you running backs will be and should be available and that might be a spot that they have to bite the bullet and spend some draft capital via trade on. So that's one piece and here's another one. As good as Josh Simmons has been at the left tackle spot, Patrick still doesn't feel totally comfortable in his protection. Now some of that's been the left guard spots been really problematic, but Creed's great, Trey's great, Simmons is really good. Joanne Taylor, when he's not committing penalties is fine. And Patrick just seems like he doesn't trust it right now. And I am as confident in Patrick Mahomes as any player that's ever played in the league that he will figure stuff out. And there have been times this season where it has felt like he's out there. I don't want to say by himself, but nobody can get open, they can't run the ball, which has forced him to. And this is the part of the season that I have liked the absolute least. It has forced him to activate playoff running momes in weeks one and two. And I despise that because it ob obviously it puts him in jeopardy, which is the biggest concern. But the other thing is one of the reasons he has had the postseason success that he's had, one of the reasons he has been so much more dynamic and effective statistically and from a winning perspective on a per game basis than any other quarterback in the history of the league come the postseason is because every single postseason he adds a huge weapon to his game that is not there in the regular season or which is the quarterback runs the scrambles. And if he's using that during the regular season, it it has just multiple concerns. One is he can get banged up. Another is you're not getting that auto postseason boost like Josh. Allen and Lamar are unbelievable runners at the quarterback position. They do it starting in week one and never stop. So it doesn't add an element to their game come the playoffs. It has for Patrick and the last listen issue on offense is the greatest tight end in the history of the league has had a really rough two weeks. There's no way around it. Third play of the season. I thought it was Xavier's mistake. He says it was his mistake that he ran the wrong depth of his route and Xavier's hurt later in that game. He and Patrick aren't on quite the same page. When they're down nine about to score, they don't connect on what would have been a touchdown. And then obviously the Eagles game they're about to take the lead and he bobbles a pass and it turns into a game changing interception. That's all highly it, it's been highly damaging. I don't know if it's yet highly concerning, but it's highly damaging. Okay? So there, there is that piece of it on the defensive side of the ball. The only complaint I have after week two is they cannot seem to get pressure without sending a blitz. Like if they rush four, they just cannot get home. So I don't know if that means the rookies Ashton Gillot or Omar Norman Lott need to be more effective. Certainly Charles Minohu needs to be more effective. Mike Dana got hurt in this game. That didn't help. George Carloftis just got paid by this team. He needs to be more effective. Like Chris Jones is a man on an island at times. And so those are real problems. Okay? And right now the Chiefs don't deserve to be anything close to super bowl favorites. I'm not going to sit here and act like ah, they got unlucky, they got this. No, if anything it is surprising that they have had a chance to win both of these games when they haven't played well. They've missed kicks in both games. They haven't forced a turnover. So that is the true and fair sober analysis of where the Chiefs are through two weeks. Anything past that is nonsense. Anyone trying to pedal, wow, should they be worried about making the playoffs? I think has lost their mind. Now is the division for the first time in jeopardy? Yeah, it. When you're 02 and a team that beat you is two and oh with a divisional win, it's understandable that the Chiefs are no longer the favorites in the division. To Monze and where, where does Hard Rock Bed have them at right now?

[Nick Wright]

They've got them at plus 2:40 to win the division. Should you, should you hammer that?

[Demons A]

I mean listen as, as it's not surprising to you probably I have a lot of exposure already on the Chiefs, you know, futures and season and win total. But I think +2 40 is good value right now when I do I right now if I had to pick it, I would still pick the Chiefs to win the division. What I do think though, and I told this story on the TV show, I'm going to tell it again here because having an encyclopedic memory about the Patrick Mahomes era for the Kansas City Chiefs can pay dividends. And so let me tell you guys a quick story. In 2020, the Chiefs were the defending champions went back to the super bowl and got blasted by Tampa Bay. The next year, not only did they start out three and four, but Mahomes had the first real slump of his career is with Kelsey, this with Tyreek. They get blown out by Buffalo, they get blown out by Tennessee. They then play the Giants and need a field goal with a minute left to beat a foreign an eventually foreign four win. Joe Judge Giants team to get to three and four. The very next week they play the packers. And in the game Aaron Rodgers can't play in because of that's how we found out he didn't have the COVID vaccine because he was on the COVID list. And Jordan Love in his first career start comes to town and it's one of the ugliest games ever. And with two minutes left, it is 13 to 7 Kansas City and Mahomes has played terribly, okay. And it is third and 10 and a first down wins the game. And they don't get a first down and they could lose outright and fall to three and five. And Patrick play breaks down. Patrick scrambles to his right off one leg, zips in a laser down the sideline to ice the game. And I went on TV the next day and said, I believe that's the moment Patrick snapped out of his funk. I believe that is the moment that the Chiefs will be the Chiefs again and the rest of the season. They lost one time and made it to the AFC championship game where they did lose to the Cincinnati Bengals. But the rest of it, from that moment forward, they were as good as any team in football. This year. They get blown out in the super bowl. They look terrible. Through two weeks they are playing the New York Giants. It is a tie game. Approaching halftime, Patrick attempts to swing past Isaiah Pacheco who runs in the wrong direction. The ball is live. It is about to be giants 13 to six and the Chiefs are going to be in dire straits. And Patrick Mahomes runs down the Giants player who's about to scoop and score, takes the ball back from him, steadies the team. And from that moment forward in that game was Patrick Mahomes again. I do think we are going to look back on that moment as the moment the Chiefs steadied themselves.

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[Demons A]

Am though Damanze is fully relaxed and comfortable and relieved about the Chiefs. Let's get right to the game of the weekend.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, so we all saw what happened on Sunday. Your Chiefs crushed my Ravens. We were obviously riddled with injuries. Our quarterback went down very early into the third quarter. But you said after starting 02.

[Demons A]

That is not. Hold on, your quarterback did not go down early in the third quarter. It was like eight minutes at the end of the third quarter when when he tapped out when they were down 17. But go ahead.

[Nick Wright]

All right. You said your Chiefs had the chance to rewrite history after starting 02. After this game. Do you think they did so well?

[Demons A]

Listen, I they studied themselves and the 02 start. What they had to do was beat the Giants. That was an ugly game that obviously turned on the tackle that turned the tide and then they had to go take care of business against the Ravens. And take care of business they did. And not shockingly the moment the Chiefs had close to a competent receiving core, the offense looked good again the the last and we don't have to do this full history in depth, but it is worth mentioning that the Chiefs traded away Tyree Kill Mahomes snap in an off season, changed the way he played. Based on the receivers they had one league MVP the very next year dealt with more drops than any quarterback literally in modern NFL history. Figured it out by the playoffs, won the super bowl. The next year dealt with the most injured wide receiver and running back room in the NFL. Got all the way to the super bowl and the next year, which was this year, walked into the season with his number one receiver suspended for six games and his number two receiver knocked out of game one. Three plays in and it looked shaky for a bit. And I told you guys that I knew real like I guess insight that that Chargers Week 1 game plan. Xavier Worthy was the epicenter of it and him being knocked out three plays in threw everything off but this. The fatalism surrounding the Chiefs from almost everyone else in the media was and I don't want to be a scold and I don't want to be more annoying than I naturally am, but it was embarrassing and it was so fickle and so myopic, myopic, pardon me, as if they don't have a Hall of Fame head coach, a Hall of Fame caliber D coordinator and the most talented quarterback to ever live that they couldn't figure it out. And it was as if they were getting boat raced in these early games or as if they were playing terrible teams and losing. Neither were true. Now, I want to make this clear. I don't think the Chiefs are, you know, quote, fully back. If back means being the highest scoring team in the league, I don't think that's who they're going to be. I don't think the Chiefs have solved all their issues. I still think the running back room leaves a lot to be desired and their ability to get pressure on the opposing quarterback without sending a blitz at the moment leaves a lot to be desired. But you looked if you going into the Baltimore game, if you looked around the afc, the only team that really you could say had no holes to poke at it was the Chargers going into week four. But they already were dealing with some potentially mounting injuries that sadly they dealt with more of during week four in a game they had no business losing but lost. And so the Bills were undefeated. But the Bills defense had looked shaky and they, they had and have played three consecutive games against just bottom feeders. The Ravens were given this huge benefit of the doubt despite having the same record as the Chiefs and then every other team that had a good record like the Steelers or the Jags, you had real reason to be concerned about. I didn't really sleep last night.

[Nick Wright]

I didn't.

[Demons A]

Got up this morning, took your sister to school, picked your mom up from the gym. I don't know If I said 10 words to either one of them. I then just laid on the couch, which I never do in the mornings, and tried to like take a nap. That didn't work. Now you know how I can tell your mom knows I'm in a teetering emotional place.

[Nick Wright]

I could probably.

[Demons A]

What is it? Well, here's how, here's how I know that she knows and that she's empathetic because there were. She's doing like a whole giant house cleaning thing prior to her birthday.

[Nick Wright]

I knew it.

[Demons A]

Well, no, hold on there. Within the 90 seconds when I came downstairs, there were three things I saw her do that she had asked me to do previously. And she wasn't even mad at me. Yep. I was like, oh, she legit feels bad for me right now. She's like, she, she, she is really showing a real amount of empathy because I was supposed to put those coffee cups away. I was supposed to throw that backpack away. I. And she's doing all of it and she's doing with a smile on her face, which means she has correctly clocked that I'm not doing great. Hopefully this will be my catharsis. Let's get to Monday Night Football.

[Nick Wright]

Shout out to Madre. So we saw what Trevor Lawrence did to the Chiefs yesterday. It was also his 26th birthday and he walked out of there with a dub. What do you want to talk about first? Your prince's success or your Chief's downfall in this game?

[Demons A]

Okay. As much as I'd like to start with Trevor, we have start with the Chiefs. And here's the reason. That game is so, so much more upsetting than the Charger game or the Eagle game and so much more upsetting than any recent memory regular season loss. One thing about the Chiefs being the Chiefs is they simply do not lose games like that now. They get outplayed sometimes. The offense we've seen over the last couple years gets stuck in the mud. They, you know, there are ways that they can lose a game and other people panic or you know, talk about in what bad shape the team is in. And I do not because of the. The full confidence that by the end of the year Patrick will have figured stuff out or the team will get healthier or whatever it is. Losing a game like that last night, they don't blow two touchdown leads. Every other team in the league might. They don't. They did last night. While the Chiefs don't blow teams out the way the other excellent teams in football do over the last few years, they just simply never beat themselves. And yesterday they beat themselves. Yesterday is the first game in four, four years the Chiefs have won the turnover battle and lost the game. There have only been three games in the last four years where they have won or tied the turnover battle and lost the game. Week one against Detroit. Couple years ago, the pick six. Week one against the Chargers. This year neither team turned it over and then this week with a pick six. And so all of that just. It. It's just a horrible loss. All is right in the world again. Pretty happy this one.

[Nick Wright]

He's amped.

[Demons A]

It's just everything's back the way it's supposed to be. You guys check the latest MVP odds. Who's the favorite? Patrick going Hard Rock bet. Check the latest super bodies. Who's the favorite? The Chiefs. Everything's. Everything is the way it's supposed to be. And one. And what is so gratifying about this is we don't. I thought the way this was going to go was all the folks that wrote the Chief's obituary three weeks ago were going to have to answer for that commentary in January instead because of how even with the loss nine days ago by the Chiefs because of how the rest of the league has looked and how Kansas City looked on national TV Sunday night, all those folks have to eat it immediately. We're not to Halloween yet. And they all have to be like, all right, I'm dumb, you're right, I'm wrong. It's so good. It's so much fun. And the fact that they're winning this way with the offense humming back to. You're shocked when they don't get a touchdown Patrick doing Patrick things and they don't have their best offensive weapon not named Patrick Mahomes yet. And then you just. You watch the rest of the league and. And we'll get to these games, but you watch the Broncos do everything they can to try to lose to one of the worst teams I've ever seen in the Jets. You watch the Chargers do everything they can. Great play at the end by the Chargers. But the Chargers struggle with a Dolphins team that seems to actively hate each other. You watch the Bills, what they did last night. The Eagles that are ripping themselves apart at the seams. The Lions, we saw them play. And the other reason I'm happy is, you know the one team demons a that you can hold up next to the Chiefs right now and be like, hey, what's. What are you. What's the. What are you going to say bad about this team? And I'm going to say, no, there isn't anything. The Bucks, Tampa. Yeah, the Bucks who are my pick going into the year?

[Nick Wright]

This guy.

[Demons A]

So I'm feeling good. I had to eat it a lot those first couple weeks. I had to come on here, talk about all these concerns. I had to listen to the great, my beloved Kevin Wilds act like Andy Reid and Travis Kelce are. Are not essentially family and worry about the fact that Andy bumped Travis. I do all that and less than a month later, you know, the other way. I know we're back because we're back to the refs. We are. The Chiefs are back.

[Nick Wright]

I was just about to say. Yeah, it seemed like the rest taking.

[Demons A]

A night off there. The level of whining I expected from some of the media and certainly fans. But did you see Kirby Joseph, first team all pro last year? Kirby Joseph for the Detroit lions sent out 24 tweets after the game whining about the refs. Get it together, Detroit.

[Nick Wright]

He's one safety study that came out. It was a study that came out.

[Demons A]

By the way. I have never seen. Can I just say something that that that UTEP I paid the eight and here's so that UTEP study that by the way no one has read everyone has just read the news article about it. You know how I know? Cuz to read that study you got to subscribe to that journal which either is going to cost a couple hundred bucks or you can pay $18 for 24 hour access. Guess who paid the $18 for 24 hour access? This guy. Hand up. Guess who didn't Everyone else. It's one of the most ridiculous studies I've ever seen. The too long didn't read version of it is the Chiefs have played the most playoff games and therefore their opponents have been called for the most penalties that like give you it is but but I don't even give it I I, I don't care about that. I do care about high leverage spots. Again the games are on TV. 30 million people watch them. Find me. Find me. The the call we're all mad about but I don't even want to talk about it. I I I don't I'm going to get I'm going to get mad. That's not what today is for. It's not for the idiots in el Paso. The SO1 Lion Safety took the loss so well he went on tweet storm tweeting out photoshops of Mahomes kissing a ref. The other lion safety took the loss so well he hit Juju Smith Schuster in the face and now he's going to have to miss a massive game against Tampa and then goes in the locker room and I don't know if you guys watched that video but it sure seemed like he was about to cry while saying and I quote they were bullying me out there. End quote.

[Nick Wright]

Are you bullying him now?

[Demons A]

What you were bullied out there is this Sunday night football with the big bad Detroit Lions or fourth grade recess. What are you talking about you got bullied. Should Juju have to sit by himself at lunch? Is Patrick going to have to miss the not get a juice box tomorrow? You got bullied. You're supposed to be the bullies and instead of being the bullies on 4th and goal to set the tone on your first drive of the game and handing the ball to David Montgomery from the 6 inch line you pop Jared Goff out wide on a play cause you're that you don't even know the rules on and throw him a pass. You got bullied. That's a bad look buddy. That's a bad look to where I bet on sports during the holiday season Hard Rock Bet not just because it's the presenting sponsor of the show, but because they make it so easy to bet both pregame and live. In just a few simple taps, you open the app, find a bet you like. BAM Bets place just in time for you to get back to wrapping presents or enjoying your favorite Christmas movie. Sign up today and bet $5 on any game. If it wins, you also score with $150 in bonus bets. A winning bet plus an extra $150 to bet with that is spreading holiday cheer. Plus, Hard Rock bet fills your stockings with new promos daily, so whenever you're listening, just open the app and check out what you've got. Any day of the week, download the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit today. Payable and bonus bets Not a cash offer Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida. Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital, LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1-888- admit it in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call call 1-809-with-IT gambling problem call 1-800- GAMBLER in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia.

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[Sophie Cunningham]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000. This is where mindset comes in. Someone will be eliminated.

[Demons A]

Pressure is coming down. Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you.

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[Sophie Cunningham]

Season 2 of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.

[Public Investing Advertiser]

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[Demons A]

Snap takeaways from it okay, so Patrick, for just the second time all year, made a costly mistake. The pick that Lattimore got was at the time his third pick of the year. Two of what the the Jags pick and the Lattimore pick were, you know, bad throws and or bad decisions and then all later in the first quarter for the second time all year. Patrick made a great throw to Travis. That Travis bobbled and got picked. And because of that the Commanders were able to hang around. Luckily, the Chiefs are back to being the Chiefs in full. And because of that it flatly did not matter. They had a drive in Demons, they had a drive in this game that was 119 yard touchdown drive because they got it started on the six and they got penalties on it to where they had to recoup those yards. And as I have been screaming from the mountaintops for the better part of two years, all Patrick Mahomes needs is a competent offensive line and a league average receiving core which now they have above league average. And now they do have demands. A a real AFC playoff team gauntlet coming up Sunday at the Bills, then a bye week, then at the Broncos, then home for the Colts. And that will, that three game stretch will determine the AFC West. It will go a long way to determining the AFC east for the Bills purposes and it will go a long way to determining the number one seed in the afc. And so I could not feel better about where this team is right now. And oh yeah, by the way, the defense has allowed seven points in the last two weeks. Let's get to Bills Chiefs.

[Nick Wright]

All right, it's that time. So the Bills won their super bowl against your Kansas City Chiefs.

[Demons A]

There you go.

[Nick Wright]

Kansas City is heads into the buy 5 and 4 as the 8 seed and the Bills are the favorite to win the one seed. How are you? How do you want to do this one? How are you feeling?

[Demons A]

Well, listen, I mean.

[Nick Wright]

Well, they did get the first one. They got the first one. So now they'll get him in the postseason if the rules are.

[Demons A]

I mean that's, that's the way it goes. But I let me give Buffalo credit because I got. Listen, I picked the Chiefs. I bet the Chiefs. I did not think the Bills defense, even if the Chiefs had their typical regular season against Buffalo vanilla game plan, I did not think the Bills defense would be able to keep up with Kansas City. And not only they keep up with Kansas City, they dominated most of that game. And Josh played great and Patrick played really shaky. That was the first game in Patrick's entire career. He completed less than 50% of his passes and they pressured the Chiefs at will and the Bills were the far better team. It was a miracle. The Chiefs had multiple possessions down seven in the fourth quarter. And that last possession when McDermott chose to go for a field goal was coaching malpractice. You have to punt there like the going for that field goal and giving the Chiefs a short field when they're only going to have 23 or 22 seconds if you punt is just insanity. I couldn't believe he did it, but set that aside. Buffalo steadied themselves. Buffalo stayed very alive for their division as the Patriots have just a cake schedule moving forward. And Buffalo ran the ball great. Josh was awesome and the defense, which was my concern with them, more than stepped up. So all of that is true. That can be true. While it's also true that this does not change my opinion 1% about what a Chiefs Bills playoff game could look like. And I thought the Bills young secondary players Cole Bishop and Xavier Hairston after the game talking about the tells they saw on tape was a big unforced error. Save that info kids like you're you're probably going to have to play this team again. And so listen, Kansas City has its work cut out for him, but the whole if the playoffs started today thing is just meaningless to me. The playoffs don't start today. They have eight more games to play. If I now did this hurt their chances of winning the division? Sure. Do I still right now, would I still pick them to win the division? I would. And I think that the Chiefs are going to Vegas still has them as.

[Nick Wright]

The super bowl favorites.

[Demons A]

So yeah, because they're the best team and I don't know how long we're going to talk Broncos Chiefs and I didn't want to to not have time and the people in the chat saying quit stalling and get to it guys. I, I am, I, I do, I do about more live media than at least sports media than anyone in the field. I'm not, you know, I'm not in I certainly don't do more media than everyone who does sports media if you include their asinine and ridiculous political talk shows. But when it comes to actual sports talk, I do quite a bit. I'm not going to be able to run from any story and I certainly can't run from this one. The Chiefs went to Denver and arguably their biggest regular season game of Patrick's career and got thoroughly outplayed and blew a more than winnable game multiple times. Blew a fourth quarter lead and in that singular game Bo Nicks played better than Patrick Mahomes. That is what happened. I could not have been more shocked watching a game than I was watching that one because I the Chiefs are healthy for the most part. I know they don't have Pacheco the Chiefs right now Are a healthier than average NFL team for this point this season. They were off a buy. They had full motivation, a lot of familiarity with that opponent. And Patrick was off and the defense could not get a stop when it mattered. And so. On the offensive side of things, first, second play of the game, you have Xavier worthy open for six. Yeah, it's a tough throw because it's 60 yards in the air, but those are the throws that in, you know, partly made. Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes, he missed him. That would have been a chance to just basically set the tone for the game. Immediately missed that opportunity. Obviously, you know, they had a sequence right before the Patrick interception and this, this might have been the single biggest swing of the game. Patrick throws a little swing pass to Kareem Hunt, he gets down to the two yard line, they're gonna have first and goal from the two. Juwan Taylor illegal formation lined up too far back. Instead of first and goal from the two, it becomes first and 15. Two plays later, Patrick makes a terrible throw. And instead of at least being without the penalty, it's probably going to be 13 to 6. With the penalty, it still should be at least 9 to 6. Throws a pick, Denver drives down and scores. Despite all that, Kansas City fights back, scores a couple touchdowns, takes a lead, has the ball in the fourth quarter with a lead, go down, score touchdown, game over, three and out, then gets the ball back. Tie game, four minutes, perfect. Not going to cover the three and a half, but still drive down the field, kick a field goal, win the game, three and out. And then on the defensive side of the ball, first drive of the game, first play, sack, have them in second and 16, which turns into third and seven. Give it up. Later in that drive, have them in third and 11 outside of field goal range. Give it up. And on the final drive of the game after those two offensive three and outs, you instantly have Bo Nix in third and 15 and you can't get a pass rush and you give up a 20 yard completion. Three plays later, it's third and six, still not in field goal range and you give up a seven yard completion. Denver made the high leverage plays, Kansas City did not. And Denver now is a stranglehold on the division. And I can think what I want and still think about Bo Nicks and his long term viability as a franchise quarterback. But the fact of the matter is, on Sunday he played, in my opinion, the best game of his career and the second biggest game of his career. The only game that would have been bigger is the playoff game. And he was excellent. Excellent. Might be strong. He was. He was good. They, they're five and five. Obviously if they go seven and oh, they're a lock for the playoffs. And at seven and oh, they actually would have a chance to come all the way back and win the division. But it would be. And even though they're favored in every game remaining, given the fact that they're five and five, just sitting here saying they're going to rip off seven straight would be overly optimistic even for me. But seven and oh definitely gets them in. Six and one, which would put them at 11 and six almost assuredly gets them in, but five and two probably does not. And that is the thing that I think if we're going to have an honest conversation about where the Chiefs are, What has to be acknowledged is they probably only have one more loss to play with. Barring a true collapse by the Jags or the Chargers. We start with the Chiefs saving their season because while they would not have been mathematically eliminated and I probably would have even convinced myself, well, if they just go six and oh down the stretch they'll make the playoffs, which is true by the way. 11 wins almost assuredly will get a man and 5 and 6, they would have still been alive for 11 wins. That would have been a season ending loss. Dominating the time of possession, dominating the yardage battle and just not making championship plays would have signaled that this Chiefs team simply doesn't have the juice of Chiefs teams in years past. Thankfully, however, they are the Chiefs. They do still have Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones and Andy Reid and despite fumbling inside the five yard line while trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter, they then played perfect defensive football, good but not great offensive football, and it was enough to potentially derail is probably too strong, but really throw a wrench in this magical indie season and give Kansas City a chance to in 48 hours be for the first time or just the second time all year, two games above.500 really have their head above water and be able to have the mini buy take a deep breath before a very difficult stretch run of final five games. Two of which are cupcakes, the Titans and the Raiders, and three of which are teams fighting for exactly what the Chiefs are fighting for. AFC playoff spots and AFC playoff seeding with games against the Texans, Chargers and Broncos. So how did they do it? Because right now they are still the 10 seed. They went into the week the nine seed, but they come out of the week despite the win, the 10 seed because every, because the Texans won. The, the Chargers were off, the Jags won. We'll get to those games later. So how did they do it? They did it because the defense absolutely shut down, start to finish. Jonathan Taylor in one of the most impressive defensive performances any team has had all year. They allowed 20, but seven of them were on a drive that started at the three thanks to Patrick's interception. And so to essentially hold the highest scoring, highest yardage, most efficient offense in the NFL, 13 points without forcing a turnover is just a remarkable job by that chief's defense. And for the Colts to have the ball up 11 and go run, pass, pass, and then have the ball up three and go pass, pass, pass and then have the ball up three again and go pass before you go to overtime and you go pass, run, run. It's just, it is a testament to the fact that the Chiefs defense was able to convince the Colts by the fourth quarter of this game, you're simply not going to get Jonathan Taylor going. But it also, and it also was a testament to the fact that the Chiefs defense, right or wrong, simply said, Daniel Jones, go ahead and beat us. We don't think you can. And he couldn't. And that gave the Chiefs offense and Patrick just enough bites at the apple that they were able to overcome a really sloppy game. Not just the turnovers, but the red zone inefficiency, the missed open guys and the herky jerky nature of the offense. And Rasheed Rice in the second half of that game, really for the first time maybe since his suspension, certainly since his first game back from the suspension, looked like the player that we saw at the end of his rookie year and the beginning of last season before he got injured, which is just a dynamic elite yard after catch player. Xavier Worthy made a huge play. Noah freaking Gray made a catch while unconscious, which is still one of the more remarkable feats of this NFL season. And. The Chiefs offense did just enough against the Lu Anumo Colts defense to where they're now stabilized by the way, that is now four consecutive wins by Patrick against Luana Rumo, his alleged Kryptonite. Four wins in a row. After losing the first three games he faced against him, he's now 14 straight. But the story of the game is the defense, the fact that The Colts had 133 and outs all year going into that game, which is remarkable. And I don't know how many they had total in the game, but I do know they had four straight to end the game. And Chris Jones, who has been.

[Nick Wright]

I.

[Demons A]

Think it's fair to say underwhelming this year picked a hell of a time to make his biggest impact. If you're thinking about upgrading to the all new iPhone 17 Pro, designed to be the most powerful iPhone ever, but you're also thinking about all the traffic on your way to the store, the hassle of transferring all your data. Good news, when you order a new phone online with Boost Mobile, they'll send an expert to your home or work to deliver your brand new iPhone 17 Pro and get you all set up on Boost Mobile within minutes. No hassle. Visit boostmobile.com to get started. Delivery available for select devices purchased@boost mobile.com Terms do apply.

[Nick Wright]

Chiefs are a rough spot. You've always said with the combination of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes that they've always had a shot. But now Your Chiefs are 6 and 6 in two games out of the wild card, not two games out of the Arrowhead Invitational. The wild card. Yep, they have no, no, none of the key tiebreakers with the head to head teams. How worried are you at the state.

[Demons A]

The Chiefs are in right now? Well, listen, I mean you've got to be really concerned that the only way they guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs is by winning out. And I listen, some folks are it is not a mathematical certainty that winning out gets them in, but winning out gets them in. And so they, they are alive. And the AFC to me does feel as wide open as it has at any point in my life. Maybe since, oh wait, the year Brady went down with an injury and it wasn't a great Peyton Manning year. And so certainly the most wide open it's been in more than a decade. So if they were to get hot, play their best football, get in, I think that they would be immediately the Vegas favorites to win the conference. The problem is getting in is going to be very difficult because of those tiebreakers they don't have that you mentioned. Now if they were to beat Houston and the then the Chargers, which are their next two, then maybe they could lose to Denver and sneak in at 10 and 7 because they would have a tiebreaker over the Colts, tiebreaker over the Ravens, which won't matter, and a tiebreaker over Houston, maybe there would be a path there. But the only certain path is winning out. And right now it is very difficult to trust this team. Even though Patrick's had at least a five game winning streak every year of his career, it is very difficult to trust this team to win five straight because quite simply they can't get off the field. And this was a problem in Week 1 against the Chargers, it was a problem against Josh Allen, it was a problem against Bo Nix and it was a huge problem against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, where historically what the Chiefs defense would do really well is one good run stop on a drive to put you in second and nine, one forced incompletion to put you in third and nine and then dial something up to get you off the field. All game long and all season long this team has been forcing third and longs and then been totally unable to get off the field. And that is why despite Patrick playing at the level that he is and he was brilliant on on Thursday and he's currently he's third in the league in yards, fourth in the league in touchdowns, for second in the league in qbr the ESPN stat, first in the league in the nerd stat that I don't love. Epa he's having an awesome year, but poorly timed turnovers by the Chiefs in previous games and the total inability all season long, aside from the Colts fourth quarter against the Colts, to make impact plays on defense might wreck the season. It's very precarious. It's the most precarious it's ever been in Kansas City. There's no getting around that now. With that said, I know myself and I don't think it will be unreasonable or irrational that if, if they win Sunday, and I'm telling you right now with that offensive line situation, Chiefs minus three and a half are not going to be one of my picks this week. If they win Sunday, then I will feel like, all right, beat the Chargers next week and you're going to go to another Super Bowl. That's how I'll feel. I will. I feel like they're a win away from being a win away. If that makes sense.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Demons A]

And so I. I have not my hope. I have not given up hope or given up belief. But my confidence has been shaken because it should be Warning this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. What are you reaching for? If you're a smoker or dipper, you're reaching for nicotine satisfaction and all the problems that come with smoking or dipping. But you could be reaching for Zyn Nicotine pouches. Let's talk about what Zyn helps you reach for. First, let's talk about variety, 10 flavored and unflavored Zyn varieties in either 3mg or 6mg strengths. And also because Zyn pouches are smoke free and spit free. You don't have to think about lingering smells or unsightly spit bottles. Then there's living life on your terms, where you don't have to step away from good times because you need a smoke or a dip, where you can be part of every moment. And hey, there's more. Zen offers a robust rewards program, opportunities to break free from your routine and membership in a unique nationwide community. Whatever you're reaching for, reach for it with America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Find your [e-mail] that's zyn.com 10 athletes.

[Sophie Cunningham]

Will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000. This is where mindset comes in. Someone will be eliminated.

[Demons A]

Pressure is coming down. Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you.

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[Sophie Cunningham]

Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Briana Stewart and more. Take the core and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.

[Public Investing Advertiser]

Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back, test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures [e-mail] Disclosures.

[Demons A]

The Chiefs are 6 and 7 to MZ.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, it's grim. They have lost now four of their last five. After that game with Houston, this is the first time, I think it kind of looked like the cold was affecting the Chiefs. O line was cooked. Kelsey had some drops, Rice had some drops. Mahomes was limping around. Is there any type of silver lining or any type of hope that you're holding on to after his last game through the end of the season?

[Demons A]

All right, well, listen, the, the hope is like, do they have a path to the playoffs? And the answer is yes, technically. But. And the simplest way to explain their path to playoffs and then we'll get into what has happened. But let me just get this out of the way. They have to go four and oh, home Chargers at Titans, home Broncos at Raiders. The colts can't go 3 and 1. Not worried about that. They're, they're, they're, I mean, they're thinking about starting Philip Rivers. So the, the Colts part of it to me is easy because the Colts have Seahawks, Niners, Jags, Texans. So the, the, let's just say the, the Colts are out and then the Chargers have to go either oh and 4 or 1 and 3. With one of the losses being to Denver in week 18. The simplest way to look at can the Chiefs make the playoffs is they have to beat the Chargers this weekend. They then have to beat the Titans, the Broncos and the Raiders. And the Chargers have to then lose to Denver in week 18 and to either the Texans or the Cowboys in week 16. 17. If that happens, the Chiefs make it. Chiefs lose. Chiefs eliminated. Patrick injured.

[Nick Wright]

One of the weirdest, saddest reads that I've had to do for this show is very strange. Chiefs eliminated from the playoffs after the loss of the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes with a torn ACL and lcl. They're done. Yesterday you said that this was the End of a chapter or in the chapter.

[Demons A]

So I'll get into the that part in a second. First, I want to say this. This is pro football and this, yes, this is my hometown team and yes, I have a personal relationship for Pat with Patrick and so and he's the face of the league and one of the defining players of in league history. All of those things make this extra gutting in the short term and we'll see what it means in the long term. But I don't want to overstate the, how do I put this because the, the, the, the devastation of the moment is real. The sympathy or empathy that folks should have for me or for Chiefs fans or whatever right now, I, I think that's overstated because this is pro football and this happens. And it was the chief's turn to have the year from hell and it was sadly Patrick's turn to roll craps and he was fighting through a knee injury the last few weeks. He was on the injury report the last few weeks. You saw him laboring. We said after week one, man, he sure ran a lot and sure took a lot of hits. And there's attacks to all of it. There just is. And there is a cost to the 20 game seasons. There is a cost to the offensive line injuries. There is a cost to, to Patrick's refusal to sit out a game when his knee was obviously bothering him. There is a cost to the Chiefs being in must win, gotta have it elimination games this early in the season, you extend your body, you extend plays, you put yourself out there and this happens. This is not. I am sick for Patrick, I'm sick for myself. But I'm also the Patriots and their fans watch Tom Brady go down the first week of a season. The Colts and their fans watched Peyton Manning miss a whole year with a neck injury. The packers and their fans watched peak. Aaron Rodgers knocked out for half a season with a snapped collarbone. Like the, the Ravens twice have had Lamar late in a year get hurt and never come back. The Bengals and Joe Burrow have had multiple seasons derailed by the guy getting hurt. Like this is pro sports and this sport in particular. And so I, I am trying to balance how much it sucks that Patrick is going through this, how much the, the reality of we now have a line of demarcation in Patrick's career that's going to be before and after the acl and we're going to see how he recovers from it, how he attacks it, how it changes for good or for bad. The player that he is And I, and I. Can recognize that. And do me a favor guys, don't put questions in the rundown near the top of it.

[Nick Wright]

Sorry.

[Demons A]

This is a production note. While we're doing it, it's I lose my train of thought and. I can recognize all of that while also not feeling like woe is me is appropriate. This has been as good of a seven year run as any football fan base has ever gotten. Seven years of conference championship games, five super bowl appearances, three super bowl victories. You can put it up against anything any team has done in the history of the sport. This seven years matches any seven years the Patriots had. Any seven years the Niners in the 80s had and the Steelers in the 70s is a weird one because they won four Super Bowls but they didn't get to the conference championship game every year and they didn't get to five Super Bowls. That, that's a tomato tomato thing. You can say that one was better but it's at least in the argument and and now the Chiefs recede back into football general population and then see if they can emerge once again. And I and I hate that I have talked about this comp so much and now it is even more apropos. But you guys have heard me whenever we have done the Brady Mahomes career stuff. Talk about in. In his eighth year as a starter, Tom blew out his knee and then that team had its only real lull. Obviously they missed the playoffs the year Tom missed. They still won 11 games by the way, which is shout out to how unbelievable the 07 Pats and 08 Pats were as a roster. And then in 2009 Tom wasn't his best. They won 10 games and got annihilated in round one of the playoffs. And in 2010 Tom was exceptional. That team was 14 and two and then they lost one of the weirdest playoff games ever to Mark Sanchez and the New York jets. And then in 2011 they started their run.

[Nick Wright]

And.

[Demons A]

I don't know what is. I here is as far as this not being what's the right way to put this In a weird way I feel worse for Packer fans with the Micah injury than for Chief fans with the Mahomes injury. In this regard I was wrong about this team. They didn't have it this year. And so had they been 11 and 3 in that game and or I guess 10 and 3 because that was right. Do I have this right? I'm all scattered 10 and three going into that game and had looked great and it was like man, this is another championship level team. I think this would sting even more. But it was pretty clear it became I came to terms with where this Chiefs team was about an hour and a half before Mahomes is injury. The final drive of the first half up 13 to 3 letting the Chargers drive the length of the field. The combo platter of not being able to punch in the Herbert interception and getting seven and then later in the second quarter allowing them to go the length of the field in 40 seconds to take what could have been a 17 to 3 or at the very least 13 to 3 or worst case scenario 13 to 6 lead into halftime in a must win home game. Letting the Chargers whose offense right now is not very good go the length of the field to make it 13 to 10 and then watching the Chiefs offense do nothing the entire second half they didn't have it. And so this was not the Chiefs leaving a man left us potential championship on the table because the quarterback got hurt. They were not good enough this year. And I was wrong. I talked a lot of shit poked at a lot of folks as soon as they looked like the Chiefs again that was a brief mirage in who this team was this season. And I do feel demons a that they are about to have a mirror held up to some of their structural issues that Patrick was holding together over these last three weeks of the year. Because I think they are going to lose to the Tennessee Titans. I think they are going to get beat up by the Denver Broncos.

[Nick Wright]

Oh okay.

[Demons A]

And then we'll see Week 18 Raiders Chiefs in Vegas. You know who shows up for that game. But I think with these O line injuries, this lack of a running game and and one of the bigger disappointments of this season is. The lack of development from the wide receivers. I think you're going to see what this offense looks like with bad quarterback play because I understand Mahomes numbers after the buy the Cowboys game notwithstanding were ghastly. The Cowboys game is the one thing propping them up. I think you're about to see what actual bad quarterback play would look like with the team right now with its issues. And I do think that there needs to be some real soul searching is too strong but some personal accountability by everyone involved in the team. And hey, how do we make sure the next time Patrick takes the field this team doesn't have as many glaring weaknesses as it had in 2025. And listen, it's hard. There is a reason only one team ever has gone to four straight Super Bowls. There is a reason only one TEAM ever has gone to more than seven straight conference championship games. There is a reason only three other teams ever had gone to three straight Super Bowls. What the Chiefs accomplished was certain things were unprecedented and certain things were only, you know, had only been accomplished by one or two of the other greatest dynasties ever. But you saw some of the wear of the late draft picks of guys not developing of some a, a draft miss here, a free agency miss there, a bet poorly timed injury there and they couldn't run the ball and they couldn't rush the passer all year long. And these receivers who I like, I think Rasheed Rice has the ability to be excellent. I saw him be exceptional for the second half of his rookie season. I know the talent Xavier Worthy has. But those guys not developing into fully formed legitimate man beating wide receivers hurt this team a lot too. And so those are the things that you address moving forward for the Chiefs. And then you see what version of Patrick we have when he comes back. I believe the type of competitor and legendary athlete he is, that there is a very good chance he comes back as a better player. As a player that if he, especially if he can't early on rely on as much on his athleticism is even more precise in the pocket and traditional drop back sense than he's been the last couple of years. And so I'm not worried about Patrick and I would put, I understand it was a terrible injury and he tore two ligaments. I would put all my money on him being back for week one next year. It's right at nine months and I think he'll do it. And what will the team around him look like is the question. What are you reaching for? If you're a smoker or dipper, you could be reaching for more with Zen nicotine pouches. When you reach for Zen, you're reaching for 10 satisfying varieties and two strengths for a smoke free, spit free option that lets you lean into good times instead of stepping away for premium rewards, chances to break free from your routine and a unique nationwide community. Whatever you're reaching for, reach for it with America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Find your Zen wherever nicotine products are sold near you. Warning. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. What a matchup we got y'.

[Nick Wright]

All.

[Demons A]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody. Showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah. It calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer.

[Nick Wright]

Right there.

[Demons A]

Yeah, that taste always hits the right note, just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere. And in ice cold Coca Cola, that's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work, so grab a Coca Cola and keep that hbcu ride going.

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[Sophie Cunningham]

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[Demons A]

Pressure is coming down. Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you.

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[Sophie Cunningham]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.