Kansas City Chiefs Refuse To Kiss Season Good-Bye With Overtime Comeback Victory Over Colts

The guard is not changing. The run has not ended. The Kansas City Chiefs survived with an overtime victory Sunday over the Indianapolis Colts.

So, if you're among the legion of fans this franchise has embraced over the past decade while dominating the AFC West and making Super Bowl trips routine, take a breath.

"We found a way to win," quarterback Patrick Mahomes said almost as an exhale.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 23: Kareem Hunt #29 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Chiefs Come Back From Brink

Your team, on the brink when Sunday dawned, is still in the hunt even as the conference playoff picture has tightened. 

That was an amazing comeback indeed over one of the AFC's better teams. How else to describe being down 20-9 in the fourth quarter and still pulling out a 23-20 overtime victory?

"We kept going, kept punching," coach Andy Reid said. "Nobody has been hanging their head and saying, ‘oh no.’ That's not been the mentality within our building. And I'm glad it carried over to the field."

If, on the other hand, you've grown tired of the Chiefs over the years because they've gotten breaks from officials and the State Farm commercials and shots of Taylor Swift in her suite are unceasing, well, too bad. 

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 23: Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Colts Blow Winnable Game In Fourth

The Chiefs didn't allow the Colts to finish. 

(The Colts, good and all, may not be that team).

They gave up only 1 TD. 

Didn't give up sack while collecting four of their own.

Won the turnover battle, 2-0.

And Indy still lost the game.

The Colts wilted on offense when it mattered most. They answered the challenge of the fourth quarter with three consecutive three-and-outs. Then they went three-and-out in their lone overtime possession.

Jonathan Taylor, the NFL's leading rusher, managed only 58 rushing yards and averaged only 3.6 yards per rush.

"Our guys did a nice job of wrapping him up," Reid said. "You've got to focus on wrapping him up and getting him on the ground and our guys did that."

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 23: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs attempts a pass while under pressure from Adetomiwa Adebawore #95 of the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Chiefs Stepped Up In Fourth Quarter

The Chiefs, meanwhile, showed their mettle in the fourth quarter, even if that too felt like a saga. It was classic meltdown football followed by comeback heroics. 

So, yes, unnerving.

The Chiefs were losing because they were beaten by the opposing team and themselves. And, by the way, Mahomes wasn't playing up to his standard. 

He missed an obvious TD throw to Rashee Rice. He had an overthrow to an open Travis Kelce. And he began the game with an interception inside his own 5 yard line. 

CBS analyst Tony Romo noted Mahomes was rushing and going through his progression "too quickly."

"He needs to calm his mind," Romo said, "and trust his teammates."

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 23: Grover Stewart #90 of the Indianapolis Colts is called for roughing the passer on Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Mahomes: Exactly What We Needed

Mahomes eventually did that. He threw for 136 yards in the fourth quarter alone as he rallied the Chiefs offense to two scores.

"He kept firing, which is what the great ones do," Reid said.

It's hard to say the Chiefs, 6-5 and 10th among the AFC playoff teams chasing seven spots, have flipped the script. 

Last year they were 12-0 in one-score games. They were 0-5 in one-score games this year before this game. 

Now they're 1-5 in those heart-stoppers.

"This is exactly what we needed," Mahomes said. "to win against a really good football team when nothing seems to be going your way … We needed a win like this and now we can try to build off of it."