After the game, the atmosphere inside the Chiefs locker room was sorrowful; many of the veterans knew their leader had suffered the worst injury of his nine-year career.
“I just hugged him, man,” pass rusher Chris Jones said. “That’s my brother. We’ve been through so much. We love Pat.”
“I felt very comfortable to go in and execute the offense,” Minshew said. “I hate that situation. I hate that I couldn’t deliver and get us a win and keep our [playoff] hopes alive.”
The Chiefs entered Sunday with just a 12% chance of clinching a postseason berth, according to ESPN Analytics. Even before the Chiefs’ game ended, those odds had dwindled when the Buffalo Bills, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans — three teams that already had defeated the Chiefs this season and were ahead of them in the standings — each won their games.
The Chiefs’ 10-year streak of making the playoffs was the longest by any team across the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
“Success is rented every year,” Jones said. “Sometimes it don’t go the way you planned for it to go. I think we learned a lot this year.
“We can be mad at ourselves, and we can ask God why. But at times, it’s a lesson that you’re being taught along the journey. We’d be selfish to ask God why. Why right now? Why this? We more so [have] to understand it and build from it.”
The Chiefs entered the season hoping to be just the second team in the Super Bowl era to return to the game’s biggest stage for a fourth consecutive season. Just 28 days ago, entering Week 11, they were favored to win the Super Bowl.
“We’re just not finishing,” cornerback Jaylen Watson said. “It’s a play or two — or three. We’re just not finishing. It’s frustrating.”
“We’ve got to do better when you get opportunities in the red zone or [with favorable] field position,” Reid said. “You’ve got to take advantage of that.”
“It’s been hard to watch for Pat,” Minshew said. “That dude put so much into it. I don’t think I’ve ever respected anybody I’ve played with more. I’ve never seen someone I’ve played with give so much of themselves to the team. To not get the results is hard, but I’ve got more confidence in him than anybody to come back and be better than ever.
Instead, they were unable to reach the postseason largely because they couldn’t accomplish what they did a year ago: win one-score games. Last year, the Chiefs won 11 such games, the most in a single campaign in league history. But for many reasons this season — a lack of execution, the defense not getting off the field late and kicker Harrison Butker missing a career-high eight field goals — the Chiefs suffered seven one-score losses, including Sunday’s. The Chiefs’ 1-7 record in one-score games this season ranks last in the league.
“Sorry guys, it’s not the time,” Kelce said. “I’ll catch you guys during the week.”
“He’s down, man, obviously. It’s a tough game, and it’s been a tough year to this point.”
Patrick Mahomes tears ACL in closing minutes vs. Chargers (0:36)Patrick Mahomes’ knee buckles after a hit in the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers. (0:36)
