For the first time during the Patrick Mahomes era in Kansas City, the Chiefs entered Sunday on the outside looking in at the playoff race.

At 5-5, Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts was pretty much a must win if the Chiefs want to get back and have a chance for a Super Bowl.

Things didn't start out well, and the Chiefs were down 20-9 in the fourth quarter when Kareem Hunt fumbled the ball inside the Colts five-yard line. It felt like the season was lost at that point, as the Colts were in a position to rely on Jonathan Taylor and run out the clock.

However, when the team needed it the most, the leaders on the Chiefs stepped up.

Mahomes finished Sunday's game 29-of-46 for 352 yards, and was especially dominant when it mattered the most. His favorite target on the day was Rashee Rice, who became the first Chiefs receiver this season to have at least 100 yards. 

Rice had eight catches for 141 yards, with many of those coming in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The offense made the plays late in the game, but it was the defense that kept the Chiefs within striking distance.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones is having statistically one of the worst seasons in his career, as he has only three sacks this year. Besides his rookie year, the fewest sacks Jones has ever had in a season is five last year.

On Sunday though, he sent a reminder to the NFL he is still more than capable of taking over a game. While his statistics may not show how dominant he was, Jones made several huge plays on Sunday.

In a late third down situation, Daniel Jones missed a wide-open receiver because Jones was in his face. Taylor has been the offensive player of the year so far in the NFL, and he finished with 16 carries for 58 yards. If you take out one 27-yard run, he finished with 15 carries for 31 yards.

Do the Chiefs have more flaws this season than they have in the past? Maybe, but there are plenty of statistics that show the team is actually playing better than last year. A big reason for the record was the leaders weren't stepping up when the team has needed them to. 

The win against the Colts saved their season, but it is also the type of win that can fuel a team on a long run. The Chiefs will look to build off the win when they travel to Dallas on Thursday to take on the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.