The Dallas Cowboys made a statement win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football, and no one in the world seems as exhilarated as Michael Irvin. The former Cowboys star did not hesitate to mock the Chiefs, who lost 31-28 to the Cowboys in Dallas.

“I want y’all to see this. I told you. When I got here they had a lot of red in here. It’s dead. I mean literally dead. The playoffs are over for you. And you went home. You came here pretending, trying to claim America’s team. No, you are not America’s team. America’s team send your a– home,” Irvin wrote on his Instagram story.

For Dallas, the win keeps the door cracked. The No. 7 seed in the NFC belongs to the 8–4 San Francisco 49ers and No. 8 to the 7-5 Detroit Lions, so the Cowboys are still a game and a half back, but now the path isn’t imaginary.

Kansas City, meanwhile, has stumbled into a real mess. The Chiefs sit at 6–6, also a game and a half behind the AFC’s final playoff spot. They’re three and a half back of Denver in the AFC West and now trail Buffalo, Jacksonville, and the Chargers in the wild-card chase. There’s barely any margin left to work with.

And you have to wonder: even if they squeeze their way into January, how far could this team actually go? Mahomes was the one thing that worked on Thursday. The pass rush didn’t land much of anything, and when Kansas City backed off the blitz, Dak Prescott had the time and space to let Lamb and Pickens separate.

That’s the part that should worry them. When Mahomes has an off night, the Chiefs usually lose. That’s understandable. But when Mahomes plays well, and they still can’t get over the hump, that’s an entirely different concern. Thursday was one of those nights.

Mahomes knows what’s at stake. And after the loss, he delivered a pretty clear message to the locker room.

Patrick Mahomes’ ultimatum to the locker room

The Kansas City Chiefs have been living in Super Bowl country for years now under Andy Reid, and no one has grown more accustomed to that standard than Patrick Mahomes. This season, though? “Mediocre” might actually be the kindest way to describe it. Naturally, he won’t give up unless it’s mathematically impossible to make the playoffs.

“You’ve got to win every game now — and hope that’s enough,” Patrick Mahomes said, laying out the most straightforward scenario for Kansas City to sneak into the postseason with five games left.

That’s a tall order for a team that hasn’t looked like itself in weeks. And the road ahead doesn’t give Mahomes many favors. He’ll spend a lot more time under pressure than he did against Dallas. They’re yet to face the Broncos, who possess the best pass rush in the league. They’re league leaders in total sacks (49). Mahomes will have a much tougher time in the pocket.

Texans are up next week. They’ve quietly turned into one of the toughest defenses in the league. They allow the second-fewest points per game (16.5) and the fewest yards overall (264.3). And of course, the Chargers, who can beat anyone on their day.

If the Chiefs somehow run the table, they’ll have earned their way in. No one will argue otherwise. But with the way they’re playing now, it’s hard to see them racking up 5/5.