The Kansas City Chiefs‘ 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos
on Thursday night continued what has been an incredibly unhealthy season for what has turn out to be one of many NFL’s elite franchises. The Chiefs have been already eradicated from playoff competition, however now they should put on the title of “10-loss group.”
The Chiefs haven’t misplaced 10 video games in a season for the reason that 2012 season after they went 2-14 below then-head coach Romeo Crennel. That was the yr earlier than present head coach Andy Reid took over.
It may not be any comfort to Chiefs followers who have been anticipating one other Tremendous Bowl run this season, however this group could be the perfect 10-loss group ever. Or not less than one in all them.
For no matter that’s value (not a lot).
Chiefs are one of many strangest 10-loss groups in NFL historical past
The primary oddity about this Chiefs group dropping 10 video games is the truth that they’ve performed in not less than the AFC Championship Sport in every of the previous seven seasons, whereas additionally reaching 5 Tremendous Bowls and profitable three of them over that stretch. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes nonetheless within the prime of his profession, Tremendous Bowl expectations remained in place coming into the 2025 season. This was not purported to be a foul — and even common — group. This was purported to be among the finest groups in soccer, an inevitable participant within the AFC Championship Sport and even perhaps the Tremendous Bowl.
However plenty of the Chiefs’ luck in one-score video games has turned on them this season, and they aren’t scratching out wins the way in which they did lately. In addition they have some fairly critical flaws with the roster they haven’t been in a position to overcome.
Mahomes’ late-season harm has additionally harm their skill to complete robust down the stretch.
The opposite beautiful improvement at play right here is the actual fact the Chiefs have outscored their opponents for the season by 36 factors. Usually, groups that lose this many video games in a season get outscored general and often by a really broad margin.
The Chiefs are nonetheless on the constructive aspect of the point-differential mark regardless of all the losses.
According to the Pro-Football-Reference StatHead database the Chiefs are simply the 14th 10-loss group in NFL historical past to have a constructive level differential. As of Thursday, their plus-36 level differential can be the second-highest out of that group, trailing solely the 2008 Green Bay Packers (plus-39).
The 2008 Packers and 1990 San Diego Chargers (plus-34) are the one different 10-loss groups with some extent differential of plus-30 or higher.
The 2008 Packers have been in a really related state of affairs as this yr’s Chiefs. They have been a fairly constant contender for years and have been coming off a 13-3 season in 2007. They’d a random down yr in 2008, after which bounced again with 11 wins in 2009 earlier than profitable 10 video games in 2010 and profitable the Tremendous Bowl.
Might the Chiefs observe an identical path? So long as Mahomes is ready to absolutely restoration from his leg harm and get again to being the Corridor of Fame quarterback he’s, then there is no such thing as a purpose why they may not bounce again the way in which the Packers did. They nonetheless have some massive flaws to repair, however so long as the quarterback is there, the trail remains to be manageable.
