The Kansas City Chiefs left Sunday night with plenty to clean up after a 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but there was at least one odd detail fans could point to while trying to shake off the disappointment.
Kansas City entered Week 7 as one of the NFL’s last unbeaten teams, but that changed as the Minnesota Vikings beat the Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Atlanta Falcons. By the time the Chiefs kicked off in prime time, they were the final undefeated team standing - and they were handed their worst outing of the season.
The offense managed only 213 total yards, a season low, while the defense gave up 410 total yards to Sam Darnold & Co. The three points matched the lowest total of Patrick Mahomes’ career, and it was the first time in 153 career starts - regular season and postseason combined - that he never even got to the red zone.
Still, if Chiefs fans are hunting for a sliver of comfort, the numbers offer one strange twist: the last time Kansas City started 5-1, it ended with a Super Bowl title. The last time it started 6-0, it didn’t.
That 5-1 start came in 2023, when the Chiefs opened with a 21-20 loss to the Detroit Lions before ripping off wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos. They moved to 6-1 by beating the Los Angeles Chargers, then slipped to 6-2 with a Week 8 loss to Denver.
Kansas City finished the regular season 11-6 after going 5-4 the rest of the way, earned the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and then caught fire in January. The Chiefs knocked off the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens to reach Super Bowl 58, where they edged San Francisco in overtime to win the Lombardi Trophy for the second straight season.
The 6-0 start came the next year, when the Chiefs opened the 2024 season with wins over the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers. They kept it rolling to 9-0 with victories over the Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Denver Broncos before taking their first loss in Week 11 to the Buffalo Bills.
Kansas City dropped only one more game in the regular season, a 38-0 loss to Denver in Week 18 with the No. 1 seed already secured and Andy Reid resting most of his starters. The Chiefs then beat the Houston Texans and Bills to win the AFC for a third straight year, but their bid for a third consecutive championship ended with a 38-35 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59.
So yes, 5-1 has the better recent track record than 6-0. It may not make Sunday night feel any better, but it’s the one small thing Chiefs fans can latch onto as Kansas City heads to Denver next for a rematch with the Broncos.
In Other News...
Chiefs Kicking Pressure Just Put Harrison Butker In The Spotlight
Harrison Butker has spent the week under a brighter spotlight than usual, but the veteran kicker responded in practice with a clean showing during a windy session. The Chiefs have been looking for steadier footing at the position after recent struggles, and Butker remains the preferred option as Kansas City turns its attention to an upcoming game against the Broncos.
The added pressure has only intensified since the Chiefs brought in Justin Tucker on the practice squad, giving the team another accomplished leg in the building and another voice in the mix. Both kickers have offered advice aimed at helping Butker sharpen things up, and for now the job still belongs to the player Kansas City trusts most when the game is on the line. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Head To Denver With One Rivalry Concern Looming Largest
A matchup with Denver arrives at a useful time for Kansas City, even if the stakes are already high. The Chiefs sit at 5-1 and the Broncos are right behind them at 5-2, which gives this one the feel of an early-season measuring stick in a division race that rarely stays tidy for long. Around the league, the conversation has centered on how Kansas City stacks up in a few key areas, from the ground game to whether the defense can keep pressure on the quarterback when the game tightens up.
Kansas Citys margin for error may come down to whether it can find steadier answers in the passing game and get more consistent disruption up front. The Chiefs have talent in the right places, but this trip to Denver comes with enough uncertainty to make it a real test of where they are right now, not just where the record says they should be. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Trade Buzz Builds Around A Familiar Fix At Receiver
The receiver market around the league is starting to shift, and one familiar name is already surfacing for Kansas City. Marquise Brown, now with the Eagles after two seasons in the Chiefs offense, is being mentioned by NFL insiders and analysts as a possible trade candidate as Philadelphia works through a difficult season and Browns role has been limited by injury and low usage.
For the Chiefs, the fit is easy to understand. They know Brown, they know what he can do when healthy, and they have a history of turning to players who already understand the system. The question is whether Philadelphia decides to move him at all, and if it does, how much of a return it would take to make a deal worth doing for a receiver whose recent production has been muted. [Read more 🡒]