Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Listed As NFL's Most Important Player Over Next Six Weeks

The Kansas City Chiefs kept their playoff hopes alive with a gutsy 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12.

The Chiefs currently slot in as the 10th seed in the American Football Conference playoff picture, chasing the (7-4) Buffalo Bills, (6-5) Houston Texans and (6-5) Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kansas City’s best chance to sneak in is to win out, and while that will be difficult to accomplish, if any team can do it, it’s the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes has played like a Most Valuable Player this season, keeping his team in games and exemplifying his clutch gene at times, although it hasn’t shown up as much this season. If Kansas City finds a way in, it will more than likely be because of Mahomes.

Through 11 games, Mahomes has completed 64.4 percent of passes for 2,977 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also been one of the team’s most efficient runners, rushing for 318 yards on 52 carries, good for 6.1 yards per carry.

One thing that Mahomes hasn’t been able to do as much as he has in the past is win one-score games. The win over the Colts was the Chiefs’ first of the season after losing the previous five opportunities.

Given the sense of urgency within Kansas City’s locker room, ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes Mahomes is the most important player in the National Football League over the next six weeks.

“Sticking with the star QB theme, what about Patrick Mahomes? This Chiefs team doesn't seem to be any worse than last season's was, yet the Chiefs' record is much worse because they're 1-5 in one-score games this year (with the one win coming Sunday) after winning all of them last season,” Graziano wrote Wednesday. “Mahomes hasn't been consistently accurate, and he hasn't really delivered those magical, clutch moments that have always elevated Kansas City in the past. Obviously, he still has the ability to do that. If Mahomes helps the Chiefs regain their edge in the one-score games, they're still a team to fear in the postseason, even if their nine-year AFC West title streak comes to an end.”

The Chiefs have three divisional games remaining, against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15, Denver Broncos in Week 17 and Las Vegas Raiders to close out the season. By Week 17, the Broncos will probably be sitting starters if they have clinched the division, making for an easier game for Kansas City.

The Chiefs have to get through the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving and the Texans in Week 14 before they can focus on their divisional matchups, though, and those games won’t be easy.