KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are .500 through 12 games for the first time since the 2017 season.

They squeaked into the playoffs as a wild-card team that year.

They have a whole lot of work to do, and need a whole lot of help, if they want to pull off that feat again.

An inconsistent season by the reigning AFC champions seemed to be summed up by an inconsistent performance on Thursday in Dallas. The Chiefs’ once-high flying offense was rolling when it wasn’t committing penalties, while a defense that had been playing well was gashed by the Cowboys — when it, too, wasn’t committing penalties.

The result was a demoralizing 31-28 defeat that further buried Kansas City in the playoff race.

“I mean, our ceiling is playing in the Super Bowl,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mah

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