Chiefs Kingdom spent most of October looking for a reason to believe again, and by the end of the month the list of problems had gotten long enough to fill the whole screen.
Kansas City opened with a pair of key AFC West wins over the Raiders and Chargers, but even those victories came with baggage. The Raiders game featured Tyquan Thornton’s foot nearly being removed from his body, and the Chargers matchup ended up being the last time we saw Harrison Butker (somewhat) alive.
Then came the Sunday night loss in Seattle, followed by the maddening defeat in Denver. Throw in the off-field drama around Josh Simmons and Rashee Rice, injuries to both Mansoor Delane and Peter Woods, Butker’s struggles, and the arrival of noted not-great-guy Justin Tucker on the practice squad, and the mood around the team turned grim fast.
Not a single first-round pick from recent years was contributing, Kingsley Suamataia was benched twice in mystery fashion, and plenty of fans were ready to declare the season “cooked.”
The frustration wasn’t subtle. Calls for change grew louder by the day, with fans demanding that Brett Veach draft better and Andy Reid do something different with the play-calling. Penalties, short-yardage issues, missed kicks and special teams mistakes kept piling up, and the online reaction followed the familiar path straight into job-talk territory.
Then something shifted.
Somewhere between Patrick Mahomes taking a brutal hit and Harrison Butker getting booed, the old Chiefs energy started to flicker back to life. Mic’d-up clips from earlier this week showed Mahomes delivering the kind of sideline line that can light a match under a fan base: “Call it like you’ve been calling it.”
The Chiefs looked a lot more like themselves against the Jets in the second half, with the run game and passing attack both showing signs of life. The defense took over from there, smothering Geno Smith and the Jets offense after halftime. Kansas City is allowing somewhere around 18 points a game this season, and that kind of number tends to keep the door open no matter how messy things have looked at times.
Veach also gave the fan base something to work with at the trade deadline by bringing in Josh Downs. He may not be prime Randy Moss, but the move still gives the offense a needed jolt and, just as importantly, gives the fan base a lift.
There’s more good news in the Mahomes household, too. The family is expecting another child, which adds another chapter to the Chiefs’ first family and another round of guessing about the name.
If this one follows the family’s increasingly luxurious resort membership-tier theme, maybe “Platinum Mahomes” becomes the favorite. And there’s another pattern worth noting: every year the Mahomeses have been expecting or having a child, the Chiefs have at least made it to the Super Bowl.
They’re 1-2 in those games, but that’s still a pretty strong floor.
Bronze, naturally, has to be the crown jewel of the children, if only because he carries the “Patrick” namesake and was born in the one season that ended with a Chiefs Super Bowl win.
The good news didn’t stop there. Chris Jones, after drawing plenty of heat earlier in the season, came roaring back with AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after his two-sack, game-wrecking performance against the Jets.
And if history is any guide, November should feel a lot better than October did. From 2019 through 2024, the Chiefs went 21-3 in November, a stretch that looks much more like the version of this team people know.
The 2025 team went 1-3 in November, but that only makes the contrast sharper.
So yes, the mood in Kansas City has changed quickly. One week it felt like the fan base was ready to burn everything down.
The next, there’s enough good news floating around to make irrational optimism feel justified again. The Chiefs are 6-2 and still one of the best teams in the NFL, even if the last few weeks made that easy to forget.
Maybe the simplest move now is to remember that, take it week to week, and let the rest of the league do the panicking for a while.
In Other News...
Chiefs Suddenly Face A Backfield Question Before Falcons Matchup
A late-week injury note has added a little uncertainty to Kansas Citys backfield ahead of its matchup with Atlanta. Kenneth Walker was held out of practice Friday because of a tight groin and is now listed as questionable, giving the Chiefs one more thing to monitor as they prepare for a game that comes with plenty of attention for a team sitting at 6-2.
Andy Reid offered updates on Walkers condition as the Chiefs worked through their final prep, and the timing matters with the roster already seeing movement elsewhere. Kansas City recently added wide receiver Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts, so the offense is adjusting on multiple fronts while trying to keep its momentum intact against the Falcons. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Suddenly Have A Familiar Late-Season Receiver Question
Marquise Brown is suddenly back on the market, with the Philadelphia Eagles reportedly waiving the veteran receiver after just four appearances this season. Brown signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia in March after spending the previous two seasons with the Chiefs, so his availability immediately brings a familiar name back into the conversation for Kansas City at a time when receiver depth always draws extra attention.
If Brown is claimed off waivers, he will finish the season elsewhere, which leaves the Chiefs to watch a situation that feels a little too familiar for this time of year. Even without any certainty about where he lands, his exit from Philadelphia reopens a late-season question Kansas City knows well: whether a former contributor might become part of the picture again when the stretch run gets tight. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Get A Familiar Sunday Broadcast For Rare Falcons Trip
The Chiefs rare trip to Atlanta comes with a familiar Sunday afternoon feel, at least for viewers back home. Kansas City will face the Falcons at noon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the game will air locally on KCTV (Ch. 5) with CBS Sports top broadcast team on the call.
For a team that has spent much of the season in the national spotlight, the broadcast assignment is another reminder of how closely every Chiefs game is being watched. The Week 10 slate also comes with a full set of NFL broadcast pairings, but this one stands out because of the matchup itself, with Kansas City heading to a building it does not visit often and trying to handle business on the road in a spot that has not been kind to the franchise in years. [Read more 🡒]