The Kansas City Chiefs are hanging on by a thread.November was rough for a team built of perennial winners who contested five of the last six Super Bowls, and won three of them.The Chiefs dynasty could crumble with a loss to the Texans in Week 14GettyBut three losses from their last four games means Kansas City’s chances of making the playoffs again this year are slim, and the all-conquering NFL dynasty appears to be dying a painful death.Plenty of franchises would love the opportunity to put the Chiefs in the ground, but it’s C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans‘ No. 1 defense that can make sure ‘Chiefs Kingdom’ finally crumbles in Week 14.There are no two ways about it: Andy Reid‘s unit, which sits 6-6, must win a blockbuster Sunday Night Football game to keep their postseason dreams alive.For the first time in a decade, it’s almost certain that the AFC West title won’t be heading back to Kansas City. With the 10-2 Denver Broncos and the 8-4 Los Angeles Chargers both ahead of them, the Chiefs have just a 34% chance of making the playoffs heading into the weekend. Lose, and that drops to 12% for a team rapidly slipping down talkSPORT’s Super Bowl power rankings.The Texans, effectively, would bury Patrick Mahomes & Co. with a win at Arrowhead.Not only could Houston make the Chiefs miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014, but they could also spark a major shake up in Missouri.Chiefs dynasty could crumble with loss to TexansSuccess is so common in Kansas City, that anything less than a playoff appearance will set alarm bells ringing in the front office.Coach Reid has been pivotal in building one of the NFL’s great dynasties, but there have been signs this season that things are starting to go wrong.On offense, the passing game hasn’t been up to its once-explosive standard and the running game has been near non-existent at times.The Chiefs have struggled in 2025 and could be out of playoff contention next weekGettyReid has been at the helm for 12 years but his kingdom is crumblingGettyWhere do Chiefs fall in 2025 power rankings?16. Kansas City ChiefsKansas City is in trouble.The last time the Chiefs lost more than six games (9-7 in 2014), they failed to make the playoffs.Patrick Mahomes said Kansas City needs to win out but the Texans, Chargers and Broncos will have something to say about that.talkSPORT ranks the best teams in the NFL ahead of Week 14.Together, Reid and Mahomes have provided plenty of magic on the fly in recent years, but those kind of moments have been few and far between in 2025.‘Big Red’ has said plenty of times that the buck stops with him, so would it be out of the question to suggest he could choose to step away from the franchise after 12 years at the helm, even after signing that lucrative extension in 2024? Perhaps not.Chiefs will struggle to fill Travis Kelce-shaped hole in 2026Then comes the Travis Kelce conundrum.Yes, it’s true his production has tailed off in recent years. But despite his advanced age, the tight end has actually led the Chiefs in receiving yards since 2022.He is Mahomes’ most trusted target, and Kelce’s influence is felt not just on the field, but in the locker room too.“He’s the true Chiefs Chief,” Mahomes said of Kelce after he made franchise history in October.Kelce looks almost certain to retire at the conclusion of the 2025 seasonGetty“He is the guy that has been here through the whole thing. He helped set the culture of what it means to play for Coach Reid and to play in Kansas City and I was able to come in and then have that guy to rely on.”Kelce is yet to confirm any sort of retirement decision. But after a crushing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, No. 87 was desperate for one more crack at glory.This season, though, hasn’t gone as planned. That failure, coupled with the end of his contract and a recent engagement to pop sensation Taylor Swift, means Kelce is all but certain to hang up his cleats come the end of 2025.And without his closest friend, Mahomes is in for a tough few years as he looks to steady the offense.Mahomes hasn’t been able to provide his usual magic this seasonGettyPatrick Mahomes to linger on playoff periphery for years to comeThis, by no means, has been a devastating season for the Chiefs. They have not tanked, and will almost certainly finish with a positive win-loss record.But that means KC could find itself pretty far down the pecking order in the 2026 NFL Draft.Improvements are needed, in both the running game and at the line of scrimmage, but plenty of game changers will already be off the board by the time the Chiefs are on the clock.Should things not gel next season and beyond, the once-dominant Mahomes could find himself leading a team that is stuck on the fringes of the playoffs for years to come — especially as plenty of other teams have grown into conference contenders this year.Mahomes will almost certainly have to rebuild the offense without Kelce next seasonGettyThat would be new territory for a quarterback who has made it as far as the AFC Championship Game in every season he has started to date.Kansas City, of course, could dispel all the talk of a crumbling dynasty by beating the Texans on Sunday.But if they don’t, an already inconsistent season could explode into chaos that rocks the Chiefs for years to come.Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.