NFL News & Notes: What’s Wrong With The Kansas City Chiefs?
The Kansas City Chiefs have been dominant force in the NFL for years but now are on life support.
Plagued by lackluster results in key statistical categories, the Chiefs this season find themselves with a 6-7 record and an extremely slim chance of making it to the 2025-26 postseason.
That is startling news for a team that has had a near lock on Super Bowl appearances over the past several years, playing in five of the last six NFL title games.
In those six Super Bowl contests, the Chiefs won three and finished as runner-up in two others, included losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22, in last season’s championship game.
As The Wall Street Journal noted in a recent story on the struggling Chiefs, the team’s current situation has officially ended their nine consecutive AFC West titles.
“Whether or not they pull off a long shot wild card run, it’s more clear than ever that their longstanding dominance has evaporated,” the newspaper stated.
For Kansas City to make the playoffs, the Chiefs likely will have to run the table on their remaining four regular season games (against the Chargers, Titans, Broncos and Raiders) and rely on losses by other teams in the league.
Key Stats
Current statistics give some indication of why the Chiefs have sputtered.
Beginning with the passing game, two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes, regarded as a generational talent, is third in the NFL in passing yardage this season with 3,398 yards (behind the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott and Patriots’ Drake Maye).
However, Mahomes has the lowest completion percentage rate, 63.1%, among the Top 10 passing yardage leaders this season and the lowest passer rating in the Top 10 at 91.2, according to USA Today. Dropped balls have contributed to those figures.
Compounding the Chiefs’ problems, the team’s ground game has been anemic. Kansas City’s top-performing running back, Kareem Hunt, only has 545 rushing yards, placing him 31st in the league in that category.
Kansas City’s receivers also aren’t setting the NFL on fire. The Chiefs' highest-ranking receiver in yardage, tight end Travis Kelce, has just 727 yards, placing him 24th among all receivers.
And the defense isn’t helping much. The Chiefs have no players in the Top 10 in tackles, sacks or interceptions.
Remaining Schedule
Below are the Chiefs remaining regular-season games. All times are ET.
- Week 15 12/14 vs. Los Angeles Chargers 1 p.m. CBS
- Week 16 12/21 at Tennessee Titans 1 p.m. CBS
- Week 17 12/25 vs. Denver Broncos 8:15 p.m. Prime Video (TNF)
- Week 18 1/4/ at Las Vegas Raiders TBD TBD
Sports Betting Now Legal In Missouri
On another note of interest in Missouri, sports betting became legal and live in the state on Dec. 1.
That means adults who are at least 21 years old now can wager on professional and college sports in Missouri, including on the Kansas City Chiefs.
Betting is allowed on cellphones anywhere in Missouri and in person at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.
Betting Resources
