One day after former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith publicly sounded the alarm on Kansas City’s playoff hopes, head coach Andy Reid pushed back with a calm, confident message: “We’re not panicking. Everything is still within our control.”
Smith, who mentored Patrick Mahomes during his rookie year, recently appeared on ESPN and warned that it’s “major panic time” for the 6–6 Chiefs. With Kansas City’s margin for error shrinking and a tough stretch of games ahead, Smith claimed they need to win out just to stay alive. But Reid isn’t buying into the hysteria.
“We know where we’re at,” Reid told reporters. “We’re in the fight. A couple plays here or there, and we’re talking about a different narrative. That’s football. That’s December.”
Smith highlighted the team’s defensive issues, noting the Chiefs now rank dead last in third-down defense since Week 8. But Reid remained focused on solutions, not panic.
“I respect Alex, he’s been in these moments,” Reid said. “But I see what this group puts in every day. The film doesn’t lie — we’re close. We just have to clean things up and execute.”
The Chiefs have three remaining division games and a critical Week 14 matchup against the red-hot Houston Texans. While the road is steep, Reid said his team understands the urgency — and embraces it.
“We’re not going to run from expectations,” Reid said. “Pressure comes with this job. But pressure doesn’t mean panic. It means focus.”
While Mahomes himself recently acknowledged the team “can beat anybody or lose to anybody,” Reid pointed out that winning starts with discipline. The Chiefs committed 10 penalties in the loss to Dallas, including multiple drive-killers.
“We’re not using calls as an excuse,” Reid said. “We control how we respond. That’s what we’re working on.”
The Chiefs haven’t missed the playoffs since 2014 — Reid’s only absence in Kansas City. With the postseason on the line and the AFC West tightening, the message from their head coach remains clear: Don’t count this team out just yet.
