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When the final whistle blew in Denver on Sunday afternoon, the Broncos were celebrating their ninth win of the season.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs fell to 5-5. It’s a record no one thought the reigning AFC champions would have through 11 weeks of the 2025 regular season.
But that’s where these Chiefs find themselves, as they have seven games remaining on the schedule. The words “panic level” are starting to creep up on morning talk shows on television and radio, and it’s fair to have the discussion.
However, Chiefs veteran center Creed Humphrey says his team won’t be listening to those, or even fathoming the thought of panicking. The Chiefs may not be leading the AFC West or even in playoff position heading into Week 12, but Humphrey is confident in his group.
“I mean, for us, we have all the pieces. It’s just about executing,” he told Fox News Digital, while discussing his partnership with Dairy Queen. “We need to execute better, and that’s all we know right now.
“If we do that, we’re going to like the results. So, for us, it’s about making sure we’re coming in every day, taking it one meeting at a time, one practice at a time, and just focusing on the details.”
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The Chiefs were quite hard on themselves following their loss to their division rival on the road. Patrick Mahomes kept using “I” when talking about what went wrong in the game, which is something he almost never does. But that’s the type of accountability mixed with the frustration that Chiefs leaders like Mahomes have in moments like these.
While Kansas City has had a great deal of success in recent seasons, Humphrey knows adversity comes with what it takes to win those Super Bowl titles. So, a little self-reflection and criticism isn’t a sign of the ship sailing away from that goal this season.
Humphrey thinks it’s the exact opposite.
“You got to be your hardest critic. You have to look yourself in the mirror and see what’s going on. Everybody’s doing that right now, so for us, you’re not gonna put the blame on other people,” he explained. “It’s, ‘What can I do better in the moment? What can I do better throughout the game to help this team win?’ I think everybody’s feeling that right now, and it’s good that no one’s pointing fingers or anything.”
As Humphrey pointed out, “We’ve lost some close games,” and it isn’t just some. All of the Chiefs’ five losses this season have been by seven points or fewer. And of those five, three have been by a field goal.
But the margin of error is slim every week in this league, and Humphrey knows all too well that one mistake in those critical moments can be the difference between a win and a loss.
It’s understood throughout a building that understands what it takes to win titles. So, Humphrey sees no panic in these Chiefs. In fact, he knows that players must continue to be themselves.
“I think it’s important not to lose our personalities,” he said. “If everybody starts being uptight, all that stuff, things aren’t going to go as well. Like you said, it’s a game we’ve all been playing since we were five, six years old. It’s about executing it and doing it with swagger.
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“Just like last year, we got a lot of resilient players. A lot of guys who can do what’s right in the right moments.”
Humphrey’s words will be put to the test this week when they host an Indianapolis Colts team that has shocked the NFL with an 8-2 record as they come off their bye week. The pressure is certainly on for Kansas City in such a tight AFC playoff push in the later weeks of the regular season, but it’s not like they haven’t been in this position before.
“We’re right there, it’s close, we can feel it,” Humphrey said. “… It’s taking it one day at a time, one meeting at a time, one practice rep at a time, one walk-through rep at a time. All those things. It’s about living in the present — not living in the past, not looking into the future. Just looking at what’s in front of you and what your goal is for this week and that day.”
DEAL WORTH SOME CELEBRATION
As Humphrey looks to tackle the rest of the regular season and hope to make the playoffs with his Chiefs, he’s loving what Dairy Queen has going on this week.
The Touchdown Celly Deal, running now through Nov. 23, gives customers $3 off Dairy Queen’s signature Sauced & Tossed Chicken Strip Baskets — a big favorite of Humphrey’s.
“The sweet chili Sauced & Tossed Chicken Basket> Great flavor on them, great crunch. The sides are amazing, too, and you always got to get a Blizzard, too, when you’re there. I always get the cookie dough Blizzard.”
While Humphrey always likes a good deal, he’s hoping to pull out his own touchdown celebrations in the coming weeks, as the Chiefs grind for another shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
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