The Kansas City Chiefs’ recent reputation as a team that rises for the NFL’s best opponents is taking a hit.
Over the past two seasons, Kansas City is only 3-9 against quality opponents, a sharp drop from its 16-7 mark against teams that finished .500 or better from 2022 through 2024. Arrowhead Pride noted that the Chiefs’ winning percentage in those games has fallen from 69.6% to 25%.
That slide stands out even more because it comes after a run that included three straight Super Bowl appearances, followed by a six-win season in 2025.
The Chiefs opened this season 5-0 and looked as if they had found their old formula again. Instead, back-to-back losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos have brought the same issues back into focus.
Seattle handled Kansas City, and Denver then erased an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in a 28-24 win. That loss also ended a notable Patrick Mahomes streak.
Entering the game, Mahomes had been 80-2 in his career when his team led by double digits in the fourth quarter. After the defeat, he is 80-3.
The problems against top competition have shown up across the board. Arrowhead Pride found that Kansas City averaged 23.6 points per game against stronger opponents from 2022 through 2024, but only 20.6 over the past two seasons. The passing game has dipped from 248.2 yards per game to 220.8, and third-down efficiency has slipped from 46% to 39%.
The defense has lost some bite as well. Against quality opponents, the Chiefs previously averaged 2.9 sacks and 10.7 quarterback pressures per game. Those numbers have fallen to 2.2 sacks and 8.7 pressures.
Kansas City is 5-2 heading into Sunday’s home game against the New York Jets and remains in the AFC playoff mix. But with Buffalo, Los Angeles and other contenders still ahead, how the Chiefs handle those matchups may decide whether they can still be treated as true championship threats.
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