2015 Kansas City Chiefs season

NFL team season

2015 Kansas City Chiefs season
OwnerThe Hunt family
General managerJohn Dorsey
Head coachAndy Reid
Home fieldArrowhead Stadium
Results
Record11–5
Division place2nd AFC West
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(at Texans) 30–0
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(at Patriots) 20–27
Pro Bowlers
6
  • S Eric Berry
  • LB Tamba Hali
  • LB Justin Houston
  • LB Derrick Johnson
  • TE Travis Kelce
  • CB Marcus Peters
AP All-Pros
3
  • S Eric Berry (1st team)
  • LB Derrick Johnson (2nd team)
  • CB Marcus Peters (2nd team)
Team MVPAlex Smith, Eric Berry
Team ROYMarcus Peters
Uniform

The 2015 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 46th in the National Football League (NFL), their 56th overall and their third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Andy Reid and John Dorsey. The Chiefs went through a poor start in their first six games as they were 1–5, and lost their star running back, Jamaal Charles, to a torn ACL in his right knee during an 18–17 Week 5 loss at home against the Chicago Bears. In week 16, after their ninth consecutive victory and the Baltimore Ravens defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chiefs clinched a playoff berth, their second in three years.[1] They are the first team since the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals to start the season 1–5 and qualify for the playoffs.[2] They also set the franchise record for the most consecutive victories, winning 10 in a row (which has since been eclipsed by the 20192020 Chiefs). In their Wild Card matchup, the Chiefs were set up to play against the Houston Texans. The Chiefs shutout the Texans 30–0 to earn their first playoff win in 22 years, ending what was at the time, until the Bengals broke the record the night the Chiefs won, an NFL record for consecutive playoff losses. The shutout was the Chiefs first ever playoff shutout and remains, as of the 2022–23 playoffs, the most recent playoff shutout in the NFL. The following week, they were defeated by the New England Patriots in the divisional round 27–20.

Two Chiefs took home awards at the 5th Annual NFL Honors honoring performances from the 2015 season. Cornerback Marcus Peters won Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the NFL in interceptions. Safety Eric Berry won Comeback Player of the Year after a being named All-Pro the year after having his season cut short due to a lymphoma diagnosis.

As of 2023, the 2015 season is the most recent season that the Chiefs did not win the AFC West.

Roster changes

Offseason

Reserve/future free agent contracts

Player Position
Brandon Barden TE
Armon Binns WR
Hebron Fangupo DT
Curtis Feight T
Brandon Hartson LS
Ricky Henry G
Aaron Hester CB
Deji Olatoye
Jarrod Pughsley T
Da'Rick Rogers WR
Adam Schiltz TE
Derek Sherrod T
Spencer Ware HB
Fred Williams WR
Jerel Worthy DT

Cuts

Position Player 2015 team
LB Joe Mays New York Jets
DT Vance Walker Denver Broncos
TE Anthony Fasano Tennessee Titans
WR Donnie Avery None
WR A. J. Jenkins Dallas Cowboys
WR Dwayne Bowe Cleveland Browns
G Mike McGlynn New Orleans Saints

Trades

Position Player/pick
received
Team Compensation
G Ben Grubbs New Orleans Saints 5th round pick,
2015 NFL draft
FS Kelcie McCray Seattle Seahawks 5th round pick,
2016 NFL draft

Free agents

Position Player Status* 2014 team(s) 2015 team
WR Jason Avant UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
S Tyvon Branch UFA Oakland Raiders Kansas City Chiefs
FS Kurt Coleman UFA Kansas City Chiefs Carolina Panthers
LS Thomas Gafford UFA Kansas City Chiefs Chicago Bears
TE Richard Gordon UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
WR Frankie Hammond ERFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
TE Demetrius Harris ERFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
T Ryan Harris UFA Kansas City Chiefs Denver Broncos
WR Junior Hemingway ERFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
LB Justin Houston UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
C Rodney Hudson UFA Kansas City Chiefs Oakland Raiders
G Jeff Linkenbach UFA Kansas City Chiefs Miami Dolphins
WR Jeremy Maclin UFA Philadelphia Eagles Kansas City Chiefs
LB Josh Martin ERFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
LB Josh Mauga UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
FS Kelcie McCray RFA Kansas City Chiefs Seattle Seahawks
RB Joe McKnight UFA Kansas City Chiefs None
CB Chris Owens UFA Kansas City Chiefs New Orleans Saints
CB Ron Parker UFA Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
DE Kevin Vickerson UFA Kansas City Chiefs New York Jets
*RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent, Franchise: Franchise tag

Draft

2015 Kansas City Chiefs Draft
Round Selection Player Position College
1 18 Marcus Peters Cornerback Washington
2 49 Mitch Morse Guard Missouri
3 76 Chris Conley Wide receiver Georgia
98 Steven Nelson Cornerback Oregon State
4 118 Ramik Wilson Linebacker Georgia
5 172 D. J. Alexander Linebacker Oregon State
173 James O'Shaughnessy Tight End Illinois State
6 217 Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Defensive Tackle Southern Mississippi
7 233 Da'Ron Brown Wide Receiver Northern Illinois
Compensatory selection

Notes

  • The Chiefs traded their fifth-round selection (No. 154 overall) to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for guard Ben Grubbs.
  • The Chiefs traded their 3rd round pick (80th overall) and their 6th round pick (193rd overall) to the Minnesota Vikings for their 3rd round pick (76th overall)

Preseason transactions

Cuts

Cuts to 75
Position Player
WR Kenny Cook
T Anthony Dima
LS Andrew East
CB Aaron Hester
DE Vaughn Martin
CB Kenneth Penny
G Marcus Reed
TE Adam Schiltz
WR Jeret Smith
DL Charles Tuaau
WR L’Damian Washington
WR Junior Hemingway
OL Tavon Rooks
Cuts to 53
Position Player
WR Da'Ron Brown
DE Mike Catapano
S Sanders Commings
LB Ja'Gared Davis
DT Hebron Fangupo
C Garrett Frye
DL David Irving
LB James-Michael Johnson
C Eric Kush
WR Tello Luckett
C Daniel Munyer
DB Deji Olatoye
G Jarrod Pughsley
RB Darrin Reaves
DB Kevin Short
OT Derek Sherrod
TE Ryan Taylor
FB Spencer Ware
WR Fredd Williams
TE Richard Gordon

Regular season transactions

Suspensions served

Position Player Length Reason Weeks
served
CB Sean Smith 4 games Violation of personal
conduct policy
1–4

Cuts

Signings

Position Player Previous team
TE Brian Parker San Diego Chargers
RB Spencer Ware Kansas City Chiefs*
DL David King Seattle Seahawks
T Jah Reid Baltimore Ravens
T Jarrod Pughsley Kansas City Chiefs*

Players involved in multiple transactions

This list is for players who were involved in more than one transaction during the season

Position Player Final status
LB Dezman Moses Chiefs active roster
WR Frankie Hammond Chiefs active roster
WR Saalim Hakim Free agent
OL Daniel Munyer Chiefs active roster

*Indicates player was signed off the practice squad of the team listed

Staff

2015 Kansas City Chiefs staff

Front office

  • Chairman/CEO – Clark Hunt
  • President – Mark Donovan
  • Executive vice president of football operations – Andy Reid
  • General manager – John Dorsey
  • Director of football administration – Trip MacCracken
  • Director of football operations – Chris Ballard
  • Co-director of player personnel – Mike Borgonzi
  • Co-director of player personnel – Brett Veach
  • Director of college scouting – Marvin Allen
  • Director of pro scouting – Will Lewis

Head coaches

  • Head coach – Andy Reid
  • Assistant head coach/wide receivers – David Culley
  • Senior assistant to the head coach – Kyle Childress

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Barry Rubin
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Travis Crittenden
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Brent Salazar

Final roster

2015 Kansas City Chiefs final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
53 active, 8 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 15 at Arizona Cardinals W 34–19 1–0 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap
2 August 21 Seattle Seahawks W 14–13 2–0 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
3 August 28 Tennessee Titans W 34–10 3–0 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
4 September 3 at St. Louis Rams W 24–17 4–0 Edward Jones Dome Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 17 14334
Cardinals 10 0 0919

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

First quarter

  • ARI – Andre Ellington 2-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 11:32. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:28.
  • ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 33-yard field goal, 8:23. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:54.

Second quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 48-yard field goal, 14:55. Cardinals 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 3:19.
  • KC – Fred Williams 13-yard pass from Chase Daniel (Cairo Santos kick), 4:28. Tied 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 6:26.
  • KC – Frankie Hammond 14-yard pass from Chase Daniel (Cairo Santos kick), 0:07. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 1:08.

Third quarter

  • KC – Da'Ron Brown 3-yard pass from Chase Daniel (Cairo Santos kick), 10:30. Chiefs 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:30.
  • KC – Darrin Reaves 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 8:08. Chiefs 31–10. Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, 1:26.

Fourth quarter

  • ARI – Tyler Bray sacked in end zone by Rodney Gunter for a Safety, 13:25. Chiefs 31–12.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 34-yard field goal, 6:42. Chiefs 34–12. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 6:00.
  • ARI – Travis Harvey 1-yard pass from Phillip Sims (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 0:29. Chiefs 34–19. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 1:15.

Top passers

  • KC – Chase Daniel – 17/21, 189 yards, 3 TD
  • ARI – Logan Thomas – 9/15, 107 yards, INT

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • KC – Fred Williams – 6 receptions, 82 yards, TD
  • ARI – Andre Ellington – 2 receptions, 59 yards

Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 2: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 10 3013
Chiefs 0 7 7014

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: August 21
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C)
  • Game attendance: 71,915
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 3-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 9:56. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 7:14.
  • SEA – Stephen Hauschka 39-yard field goal, 2:52. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 7:04.
  • SEA – Bobby Wagner 25-yard interception return (Stephen Hauschka kick), 2:38. Seahawks 10–7.

Third quarter

  • KC – James O'Shaughnessy 1-yard pass from Chase Daniel (Cairo Santos kick), 11:53. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:07.
  • SEA – Stephen Hauschka 27-yard field goal, 4:12. Chiefs 14–13. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 7:41.

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Top passers

  • SEA – R. J. Archer – 9/14, 83 yards
  • KC – Chase Daniel – 8/12, 82 yards, TD

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 3: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 3: Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Titans 0 10 0010
Chiefs 9 8 31434

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: August 28
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 77 °F (25 °C)
  • Game attendance: 69,813
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 29-yard pass from Alex Smith (kick failed, wide left), 11:12. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:48.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 21-yard field goal, 1:16. Chiefs 9–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 6:07.

Second quarter

  • KC – Travis Kelce 8-yard pass from Alex Smith (Charcandrick West run), 11:02. Chiefs 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:41.
  • TEN – Ryan Succop 34-yard field goal, 3:59. Chiefs 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 7:03.
  • TEN – Antonio Andrews 2-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 0:52. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:01.

Third quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 22-yard field goal, 2:40. Chiefs 20–10. Drive: 14 plays, 87 yards, 8:52.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Fred Williams 29-yard pass from Aaron Murray (Cairo Santos kick), 9:25. Chiefs 27–10. Drive: 10 plays, 98 yards, 5:07.
  • KC – Fred Williams 4-yard pass from Aaron Murray (Cairo Santos kick), 8:11. Chiefs 34–10. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 0:55.

Top passers

  • TEN – Marcus Mariota – 7/11, 99 yards
  • KC – Alex Smith – 16/18, 171 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • TEN – Kendall Wright – 3 receptions, 60 yards
  • KC – Jeremy Maclin – 7 receptions, 65 yards, TD

Week 4: at St. Louis Rams

Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Rams – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 10 7024
Rams 14 3 0017

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Date: September 3
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 37,616
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Spencer Ware 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 12:29. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:39.
  • STL – Isaiah Pead 1-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 8:30. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:59.
  • STL – Cody Davis 24-yard interception return (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:00. Rams 14–7.

Second quarter

  • KC – Chris Conley 15-yard pass from Chase Daniel (Cairo Santos kick), 12:36. Tied 14–14. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:24.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 23-yard field goal, 4:02. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 3:56.
  • STL – Greg Zuerlein 57-yard field goal, 1:45. Tied 17–17. Drive: 4 plays, 10 yards, 0:28.

Third quarter

  • KC – Darrin Reaves 12-yard pass from Aaron Murray (Cairo Santos kick), 8:40. Chiefs 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 6:20.

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Top passers

  • KC – Chase Daniel – 16/20, 117 yards, TD, INT
  • STL – Sean Mannion – 11/24, 107 yards

Top rushers

  • KC – Spencer Ware – 10 rushes, 45 yards, TD
  • STL – Isaiah Pead – 12 rushes, 52 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • KC – Darrin Reaves – 8 receptions, 42 yards, TD
  • STL – Tavon Austin – 2 receptions, 49 yards

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 13 at Houston Texans W 27–20 1–0 NRG Stadium Recap
2 September 17 Denver Broncos L 24–31 1–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
3 September 28 at Green Bay Packers L 28–38 1–2 Lambeau Field Recap
4 October 4 at Cincinnati Bengals L 21–36 1–3 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
5 October 11 Chicago Bears L 17–18 1–4 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
6 October 18 at Minnesota Vikings L 10–16 1–5 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
7 October 25 Pittsburgh Steelers W 23–13 2–5 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
8 November 1 Detroit Lions W 45–10 3–5 United Kingdom Wembley Stadium (London) Recap
9 Bye
10 November 15 at Denver Broncos W 29–13 4–5 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap
11 November 22 at San Diego Chargers W 33–3 5–5 Qualcomm Stadium Recap
12 November 29 Buffalo Bills W 30–22 6–5 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
13 December 6 at Oakland Raiders W 34–20 7–5 O.co Coliseum Recap
14 December 13 San Diego Chargers W 10–3 8–5 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
15 December 20 at Baltimore Ravens W 34–14 9–5 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
16 December 27 Cleveland Browns W 17–13 10–5 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
17 January 3 Oakland Raiders W 23–17 11–5 Arrowhead Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Houston Texans

Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 14 13 0027
Texans 6 3 01120

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Travis Kelce 10-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 10:22. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 0:42.
  • KC – Travis Kelce 42-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 4:28. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 4:32.
  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 4-yard pass from Brian Hoyer (kick failed, wide right), 0:46. Chiefs 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 3:42.

Second quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 27-yard field goal, 10:26. Chiefs 17–6. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:20.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 48-yard field goal, 6:20. Chiefs 20–6. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:32.
  • KC – Jamaal Charles 7-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 4:55. Chiefs 27–6. Drive: 1 play, 7 yards, 0:06.
  • HOU – Randy Bullock 34-yard field goal, 0:09. Chiefs 27–9. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 2:17.

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

  • HOU – DeAndre Hopkins 8-yard pass from Ryan Mallett (Ryan Mallett–DeAndre Hopkins pass), 4:07. Chiefs 27–17. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:03.
  • HOU – Randy Bullock 47-yard field goal, 1:23. Chiefs 27–20. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 1:24.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the win, the Chiefs started their 2015 campaign at 1–0.

Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 2: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Broncos 0 14 31431
Chiefs 0 14 3724

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: September 17
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 87 °F (31 °C)
  • Game attendance: 76,404
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 35-yard field goal, 9:47. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:13.
  • DEN – Brandon McManus 54-yard field goal, 3:18. Tied 17–17. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 1:42.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Knile Davis 8-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 2:27. Chiefs 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:15.
  • DEN – Emmanuel Sanders 19-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Brandon McManus kick), 0:36. Tied 24–24. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:51.
  • DEN – Bradley Roby 21-yard fumble return (Brandon McManus kick), 0:27. Broncos 31–24.

Top passers

  • DEN – Peyton Manning – 26/45, 256 yards, 3 TD, INT
  • KC – Alex Smith – 16/25, 191 yards, 2 INT

Top rushers

  • DEN – Ronnie Hillman – 9 rushes, 34 yards
  • KC – Jamaal Charles – 21 rushes, 125 yards, TD

Top receivers

The Broncos would score two touchdowns in the final minute to steal the win from the Chiefs. The second touchdown was a critical fumble by running back Jamaal Charles.

With the heartbreaking and stunning loss, the Chiefs fell to 1–1, and picked up their seventh straight loss to Denver.

Week 3: at Green Bay Packers

Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 7 71428
Packers 14 10 7738

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: September 28
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Light showers, 67 °F (19 °C)
  • Game attendance: 78,214
  • Referee: John Parry
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • GB – Ty Montgomery 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 9:44. Packers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:36.
  • GB – Randall Cobb 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 2:18. Packers 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 5:51.

Second quarter

  • KC – Jamaal Charles 9-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 12:02. Packers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 61 yards, 1:06.
  • GB – Mason Crosby 44-yard field goal, 6:15. Packers 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 5:47.
  • GB – James Jones 27-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:56. Packers 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:02.

Third quarter

  • GB – Randall Cobb 4-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 7:18. Packers 31–7. Drive: 1 play, 4 yards, 0:04.
  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 5-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 0:56. Packers 31–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:22.

Fourth quarter

  • GB – Randall Cobb 4-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 12:10. Packers 38–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:46.
  • KC – Jamaal Charles 4-yard run (Alex Smith–Travis Kelce pass), 9:56. Packers 38–22. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 2:14.
  • KC – Jamaal Charles 7-yard run (pass failed), 1:25. Packers 38–28. Drive: 17 plays, 83 yards, 4:23.

Top passers

  • KC – Alex Smith – 24/40, 290 yards, TD, INT
  • GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/35, 333 yards, 5 TD

Top rushers

  • KC – Jamaal Charles – 11 rushes, 49 yards, 3 TD
  • GB – Eddie Lacy – 10 rushes, 46 yards

Top receivers

  • KC – Jeremy Maclin – 8 receptions, 141 yards, TD
  • GB – James Jones – 7 receptions, 139 yards, TD

In a rematch of the 2011 game, the Chiefs fell to 1–2.

Week 4: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 3 9 3621
Bengals 14 0 15736

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information

First quarter

  • CIN – Jeremy Hill 8-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 11:33. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:27.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 22-yard field goal, 4:38. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 6:58.
  • CIN – Giovani Bernard 13-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 0:53. Bengals 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:42.

Second quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 40 yard field goal, 12:44. Bengals 14–6. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 3:09.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 51 yard field goal, 6:09. Bengals 14–9. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:34.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 34 yard field goal, 0:04. Bengals 14–12. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 4:24.

Third quarter

  • CIN – Brandon Tate 55-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 8:43. Bengals 21–12. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:08.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 40 yard field goal, 4:37. Bengals 21–15. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:06.
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill 5 yard run (Jeremy Hill run), 0:11. Bengals 29–15. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:12.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 29 yard field goal, 9:28. Bengals 29–18. Drive: 16 plays, 71 yards, 5:43.
  • CIN – Jeremy Hill 1 yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 4:50. Bengals 36–18. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:38.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 51 yard field goal, 2:34. Bengals 36–21. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 2:16.

Top passers

  • KC – Alex Smith – 31/45, 386 yards
  • CIN – Andy Dalton – 17/24, 321 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • KC – Jamaal Charles – 11 rushes, 75 yards
  • CIN – Giovani Bernard – 13 rushes, 62 yards, TD

Top receivers

Cairo Santos would kick 7 field goals in this game, setting a new franchise record for most field goals in one game by a Kansas City kicker. The 7 kicks also tied an NFL record. However, the 7 field goals by Santos were not enough to beat the Bengals, as the Chiefs fell to 1–3.

Week 5: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 5: Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 3 0 31218
Chiefs 7 10 0017

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: October 11
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 75,799
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Ramik Wilson fumble recovery in end zone (Cairo Santos kick), 8:13. Chiefs 7–0.
  • CHI – Robbie Gould 44-yard field goal, 0:53. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 54 yards, 7:20.

Second quarter

  • KC – De'Anthony Thomas 19-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 9:57. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:28.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 35-yard field goal, 0:09. Chiefs 17–3. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 3:00.

Third quarter

  • CHI – Robbie Gould 30-yard field goal, 3:29. Chiefs 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:13.

Fourth quarter

  • CHI – Marquess Wilson 22-yard pass from Jay Cutler (pass failed), 3:05. Chiefs 17–12. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 4:46.
  • CHI – Matt Forte 7-yard pass from Jay Cutler (pass failed), 0:18. Bears 18–17. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 1:46.

Top passers

  • CHI – Jay Cutler – 26/45, 252 yards, 2 TD
  • KC – Alex Smith – 16/30, 181 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • CHI – Matt Forte – 18 rushes, 71 yards
  • KC – Jamaal Charles – 12 rushes, 58 yards

Top receivers

  • CHI – Marquess Wilson – 6 receptions, 85 yards, TD
  • KC – Jeremy Maclin – 8 receptions, 85 yards

The Chiefs would build a 17–3 lead at one point, but Chicago would pull off a miraculous comeback to win 18–17. The Chiefs tried a 66-yard field goal, but Santos kick went wide right and missed everything near the goalposts. During this game, the Bears fans at times outnumbered the Chiefs fans, as Chicago fans are best known for good travel.

With the loss, Kansas City fell to 1–4. They would also lose Jamaal Charles for the season, as he tore his ACL in this game.

Week 6: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings  – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 0 01010
Vikings 3 7 3316

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

First quarter

  • MIN – Blair Walsh 24-yard field goal, 5:40. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:00.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • MIN – Blair Walsh 45-yard field goal, 8:51. Vikings 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:34.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 48-yard field goal, 13:10. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 3:27.
  • KC – Albert Wilson 42-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 8:46. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:26.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 45-yard field goal, 4:46. Vikings 16–10. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:00.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With their fifth straight loss, the Chiefs fell to 1–5.

Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Steelers 3 0 7313
Chiefs 3 6 7723

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: October 25
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 58 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 76,365
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Stacey Dales
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 30-yard field goal, 8:47. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:08.
  • PIT – Chris Boswell 24-yard field goal, 0:59. Tied 3–3. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 7:48.

Second quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 22-yard field goal, 8:55. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 7:04.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 27-yard field goal, 1:00. Chiefs 9–3. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:41.

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

  • PIT – Chris Boswell 36-yard field goal, 10:17. Chiefs 16–13. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:56.
  • KC – Chris Conley 6-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 10:17. Chiefs 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 5:04.

Top passers

  • PIT – Landry Jones – 16/29, 209 yards, TD, 2 INT
  • KC – Alex Smith – 21/32, 251 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 17 rushes, 121 yards
  • KC – Charcandrick West – 22 rushes, 110 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • PIT – Antonio Brown – 6 receptions, 124 yards
  • KC – Chris Conley – 6 receptions, 63 yards

Ben Roethlisberger would not play in this game for the Steelers, so backup quarterback Landry Jones led the way for the Steelers. In his first career start, the Chiefs defense would force 3 turnovers, 2 of them interceptions, and the Chiefs would hold on to win 23–13.

With the win, the Chiefs improved to 2–5.

Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions

NFL International Series

Week 8: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 3 0 0710
Chiefs 7 17 71445

at Wembley Stadium, London, England

  • Date: November 1
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. GMT/8:30 a.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
  • Game attendance: 83,624
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette
  • TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • DET – Matt Prater 35-yard field goal, 9:09. Lions 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:51.
  • KC – De'Anthony Thomas 10-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 4:06. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:02.

Second quarter

  • KC – Alex Smith 12-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 12:00. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:47.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 33-yard field goal, 8:33. Chiefs 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:42.
  • KC – Charcandrick West 8-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 3:26. Chiefs 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:53.

Third quarter

  • KC – Travis Kelce 2-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 8:53. Chiefs 31–3. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 6:07.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 17-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 10:11. Chiefs 38–3. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:46.
  • DET – Lance Moore 21-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 7:21. Chiefs 38–10. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:50.
  • KC – Spencer Ware 4-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 6:40. Chiefs 45–10. Drive: 2 plays, 41 yards, 0:41.

Top passers

  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/36, 217 yards, TD, 2 INT
  • KC – Alex Smith – 18/26, 145 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • DET – Joique Bell – 7 rushes, 56 yards
  • KC – Charcandrick West – 20 rushes, 97 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 85 yards
  • KC – Travis Kelce – 6 receptions, 49 yards, TD

In their first ever game in London, the Chiefs routed the crestfallen 1–6 Detroit Lions. With the win, Kansas City improved to 3–5.

Week 10: at Denver Broncos

Week 10: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 10 9 3729
Broncos 0 0 01313

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

  • Date: November 15
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST/2:25 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: Mostly sunny, 64 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 76,973
  • Referee: Gene Steratore
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Charcandrick West 4-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 11:21. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:36.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 48-yard field goal, 6:19. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:52.

Second quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 49-yard field goal, 11:35. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 19 yards, 3:31.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 34-yard field goal, 3:30. Chiefs 16–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:21.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 19–0. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 2:38.

Third quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 50-yard field goal, 10:45. Chiefs 22–0. Drive: 6 plays, 9 yards, 2:31.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Charcandrick West 80-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 11:10. Chiefs 29–0. Drive: 2 plays, 81 yards, 0:53.
  • DEN – Ronnie Hillman 1-yard run (run failed), 5:27. Chiefs 29–6. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:43.
  • DEN – Andre Caldwell 7-yard pass from Brock Osweiler (Brandon McManus kick), 1:45. Chiefs 29–13. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 1:23.

Top passers

  • KC – Alex Smith – 17/31, 204 yards, TD
  • DEN – Brock Osweiler – 14/24, 146 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

  • KC – Charcandrick West – 24 rushes, 69 yards, TD
  • DEN – Ronnie Hillman – 11 rushes, 42 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • KC – Charcandrick West – 3 receptions, 92 yards, TD
  • DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 7 receptions, 71 yards

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning would set the all-time record for most passing yards in NFL history in this game, but the Chiefs defense would have themselves a day, picking off Bronco quarterbacks five times, four on Manning, one on Brock Osweiler, and the Chiefs routed the Broncos, 29–13.

With the win, the Chiefs went to 4–5, and snapped their seven-game losing streak against the Broncos.

Week 11: at San Diego Chargers

Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 6 6 71433
Chargers 0 3 003

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

  • Date: November 22
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 87 °F (31 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,837
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Dontari Poe 1-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 2:09. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 5:26.

Second quarter

  • SD – Josh Lambo 52-yard field goal, 12:09. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 5:00.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 28-yard field goal, 5:53. Chiefs 9–3. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:16.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 24-yard field goal, 0:03. Chiefs 12–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:14.

Third quarter

  • KC – Justin Houston 17-yard interception return (Cairo Santos kick), 3:27. Chiefs 19–3.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Spencer Ware 3-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 6:11. Chiefs 26–3. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:39.
  • KC – Spencer Ware 3-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 2:32. Chiefs 33–3. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 1:41.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • KC – Spencer Ware – 11 rushes, 96 yards, 2 TD
  • SD – Melvin Gordon – 15 rushes, 37 yards

Top receivers

  • KC – Albert Wilson – 4 receptions, 56 yards
  • SD – Stevie Johnson – 7 receptions, 54 yards

With the huge win, Kansas City went to 5–5, and climbed back into playoff contention.

Week 12: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 12: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 10 6 6022
Chiefs 0 14 10630

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: November 29
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy and rainy, 35 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,493
  • Referee: Terry McAulay
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • BUF – Dan Carpenter 27-yard field goal, 11:53. Bills 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:07.
  • BUF – Sammy Watkins 28-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 1:04. Bills 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:15.

Second quarter

  • KC – Spencer Ware 3-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 6:57. Bills 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:10.
  • BUF – Sammy Watkins 21-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (kick failed, wide right), 2:29. Bills 16–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:28.
  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 41-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 1:48. Bills 16–14. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:41.

Third quarter

  • KC – Travis Kelce 15-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 11:15. Chiefs 21–16. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:45.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 49-yard field goal, 8:07. Chiefs 24–16. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:35.
  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 10-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (pass failed), 3:11. Chiefs 24–22. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:56.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 38-yard field goal, 13:00. Chiefs 27–22. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 5:11.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 37-yard field goal, 3:30. Chiefs 30–22. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:31.

Top passers

  • BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 21/38, 291 yards, 3 TD
  • KC – Alex Smith – 19/30, 255 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • BUF – LeSean McCoy – 19 rushes, 70 yards
  • KC – Spencer Ware – 19 rushes, 114 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • BUF – Sammy Watkins – 6 receptions, 158 yards, 2 TD
  • KC – Jeremy Maclin – 9 receptions, 160 yards, TD

With the win, Kansas City went to 6–5.

Week 13: at Oakland Raiders

Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 0 72034
Raiders 7 7 6020

at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 57 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 55,010
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • OAK – Michael Crabtree 25-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:13. Raiders 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 0:40.

Third quarter

  • KC – Spencer Ware 10-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 9:16. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:44.
  • OAK – Lee Smith 5-yard pass from Derek Carr (kick failed, hit left upright), 2:12. Raiders 20–14. Drive: 13 plays, 83 yards, 7:04.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 1-yard pass from Alex Smith (pass failed), 11:17. Tied 20–20. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:41.
  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 13-yard pass from Alex Smith (kick failed, wide right), 7:57. Chiefs 26–20. Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 0:11.
  • KC – Tyvon Branch 38-yard interception return (Alex Smith–Travis Kelce pass), 3:14. Chiefs 34–20.

Top passers

  • KC – Alex Smith – 16/22, 162 yards, 2 TD
  • OAK – Derek Carr – 31/48, 283 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

  • KC – Charcandrick West – 9 rushes, 35 yards
  • OAK – Latavius Murray – 20 rushes, 86 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • KC – Jeremy Maclin – 9 receptions, 95 yards, 2 TD
  • OAK – Amari Cooper – 4 receptions, 69 yards

With the win, the Chiefs went to 7–5.

Week 14: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week 14: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chargers 0 0 303
Chiefs 0 10 0010

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 13
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy with rain, 61 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,314
  • Referee: Pete Morelli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • KC – Albert Wilson 44-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 1:53. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 96 yards, 5:23.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 40-yard field goal, 0:02. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 0:27.

Third quarter

  • SD – Josh Lambo 30-yard field goal, 5:47. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 6:22.

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Top passers

  • SD – Philip Rivers – 24/43, 263 yards, INT
  • KC – Alex Smith – 15/23, 191 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • SD – Antonio Gates – 6 receptions, 76 yards
  • KC – Albert Wilson – 4 receptions, 87 yards, TD

With the low-scoring win, the Chiefs went to 8–5 and swept the Chargers for the second straight season.

Week 15: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 14 10 01034
Ravens 7 7 0014

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Date: December 20
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 41 °F (5 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,791
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Chris Fischer
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 13-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 14:56. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 1:21.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 53-yard field goal, 0:50. Chiefs 24–7. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 3:16.
  • BAL – Kamar Aiken 48-yard pass from Jimmy Clausen (Justin Tucker kick), 0:00. Chiefs 24–14. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 0:50.

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 32-yard field goal, 6:45. Chiefs 27–14. Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 8:41.
  • KC – Marcus Peters 90-yard interception return (Cairo Santos kick), 4:36. Chiefs 34–14.

Top passers

  • KC – Alex Smith – 21/25, 171 yards, TD
  • BAL – Jimmy Clausen – 26/45, 282 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

  • KC – Charcandrick West – 16 rushes, 76 yards, TD
  • BAL – Terrance West – 7 rushes, 35 yards

Top receivers

  • KC – Travis Kelce – 6 receptions, 73 yards
  • BAL – Kamar Aiken – 8 receptions, 128 yards, TD

Rookie Marcus Peters would put the dagger into the Ravens, as he returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown. With the win, the Chiefs went to 9–5.

Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 16: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 3 7313
Chiefs 10 7 0017

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 27
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 36 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 69,115
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

  • KC – Jeremy Maclin 11-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 7:57. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 7:08.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 40-yard field goal, 2:24. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:43.

Second quarter

  • CLE – Travis Coons 45-yard field goal, 9:02. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:36.
  • KC – Travis Kelce 13-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 0:36. Chiefs 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 1:03.

Third quarter

  • CLE – Isaiah Crowell 10-yard run (Travis Coons kick), 9:21. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:45.

Fourth quarter

  • CLE – Travis Coons 36-yard field goal, 8:31. Chiefs 17–13. Drive: 21 plays, 62 yards, 12:01.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

The Browns, led by Johnny Manziel, attempted a comeback to put a stop to Kansas City's playoff hopes, but Cleveland did not have any timeouts remaining, and they ultimately ran out of time when Manziel couldn't advance the ball down the field fast enough.

With the win, the Chiefs went to 10–5 and clinched a playoff spot.

Week 17: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 17: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Raiders 0 10 0717
Chiefs 14 0 9023

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: January 3, 2016
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 37 °F (3 °C)
  • Game attendance: 76,114
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 29-yard field goal, 13:40. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:11.
  • OAK – David Amerson 24-yard interception return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 3:27. Chiefs 14–10.

Third quarter

  • KC – Punt blocked by D. J. Alexander out of bounds in end zone for a Safety, 9:01. Chiefs 16–10.
  • KC – Demetrius Harris 15-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 7:03. Chiefs 23–10. Drive: 4 plays, 53 yards, 1:58.

Fourth quarter

  • OAK – Michael Crabtree 31-yard pass from Derek Carr (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 2:01. Chiefs 23–17. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 1:14.

Top passers

  • OAK – Derek Carr – 21/33, 194 yards, TD, INT
  • KC – Alex Smith – 14/24, 156 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

  • OAK – Latavius Murray – 11 rushes, 31 yards
  • KC – Spencer Ware – 16 rushes, 76 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • OAK – Clive Walford – 4 receptions, 46 yards
  • KC – Jeremy Maclin – 3 receptions, 54 yards, TD

With their 10th straight win, the Chiefs ended their season at 11–5. They were the first team to end a season with 10 or more consecutive wins since the 2012 Broncos won 11 in a row to end their season.

Standings

Division

AFC West
  • view
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  • edit
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Denver Broncos 12 4 0 .750 4–2 8–4 355 296 W2
(5) Kansas City Chiefs 11 5 0 .688 5–1 10–2 405 287 W10
Oakland Raiders 7 9 0 .438 3–3 7–5 359 399 L1
San Diego Chargers 4 12 0 .250 0–6 3–9 320 398 L2

Conference

AFC
  • v
  • t
  • e
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division Leaders
1[a] Denver Broncos West 12 4 0 .750 4–2 8–4 .500 .479 W2
2[a] New England Patriots East 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .473 .448 L2
3[a] Cincinnati Bengals North 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 .477 .406 W1
4 Houston Texans South 9 7 0 .563 5–1 7–5 .496 .410 W3
Wild Cards
5 Kansas City Chiefs West 11 5 0 .688 5–1 10–2 .496 .432 W10
6[b] Pittsburgh Steelers North 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .504 .463 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[b] New York Jets East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .441 .388 L1
8[c] Buffalo Bills East 8 8 0 .500 4–2 7–5 .508 .438 W2
9[c] Indianapolis Colts South 8 8 0 .500 4–2 6–6 .500 .406 W2
10 Oakland Raiders West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 7–5 .512 .366 L1
11 Miami Dolphins East 6 10 0 .375 1–5 4–8 .469 .469 W2
12[d] Jacksonville Jaguars South 5 11 0 .313 2–4 5–7 .473 .375 L3
13[d] Baltimore Ravens North 5 11 0 .313 3–3 4–8 .508 .425 L1
14 San Diego Chargers West 4 12 0 .250 0–6 3–9 .527 .328 L2
15[e] Cleveland Browns North 3 13 0 .188 1–5 2–10 .531 .271 L3
16[e] Tennessee Titans South 3 13 0 .188 1–5 1–11 .492 .375 L4
Tiebreakers[f]
  1. ^ a b c Denver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based
    on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against
    the same four teams was 2–3.
  2. ^ a b Pittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative
    record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2.
  3. ^ a b Buffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
  4. ^ a b Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory.
  5. ^ a b Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory.
  6. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason

Schedule

Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap
Wild Card January 9 at Houston Texans (4) W 30–0 1–0 NRG Stadium Recap
Divisional January 16 at New England Patriots (2) L 20–27 1–1 Gillette Stadium Recap

Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) Houston Texans

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Kansas City Chiefs at (4) Houston Texans – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 6 71030
Texans 0 0 000

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • KC – Cairo Santos 49-yard field goal, 12:50. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:30.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 49-yard field goal, 7:06. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 3:29.

Third quarter

  • KC – Chris Conley 9-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 4:35. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 11 plays, 94 yards, 5:23.

Fourth quarter

  • KC – Spencer Ware 5-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 14:56. Chiefs 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:13.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 33-yard field goal, 3:59. Chiefs 30–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:13.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

The Texans, who won the AFC South division with a 9–7 record, were completely crushed by the Chiefs. The Chiefs were the first team since the 2006 Bears to score a kick return touchdown on the opening play of the playoffs, when Knile Davis returned the opening kick 106 yards for a touchdown. After that, the game started to slow down, with both teams going three-and-out before a string of turnovers, Eric Berry's interception of Brian Hoyer, Brian Cushing's interception of Alex Smith two plays later, and a Hoyer fumble recovered by Dontari Poe on the ensuing drive. The Chiefs made a field goal on the drive, and although the team was able to get to the 2-yard line, a negative run by J. J. Watt and another interception by Hoyer ended the Texans' closest chance at scoring in the entire game. Although the Texans' defense forced a three-and-out, Hoyer threw his third interception to Marcus Peters on the second play of their drive.

The win was Kansas City’s first playoff win since 1993, ironically in The Astrodome.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) New England Patriots

AFC Divisional Playoffs: (5) Kansas City Chiefs at (2) New England Patriots  – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 3 3 7720
Patriots 7 7 7627

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: January 16, 2016
  • Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST/3:35 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,829
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • NE – Tom Brady 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:23. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 98 yards, 5:36.
  • KC – Cairo Santos 32-yard field goal, 0:12. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 3:11.

Third quarter

  • NE – Rob Gronkowski 16-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:24. Patriots 21–6. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:07.
  • KC – Albert Wilson 10-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 2:12. Patriots 21–13. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:12.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 14:46. Patriots 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:26.
  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard field goal, 10:20. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:06.
  • KC – Charcandrick West 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 1:13. Patriots 27–20. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 5:16.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

The Chiefs, who had won 11 straight, travelled to Gillete Stadium to face the Patriots, who had advanced to the AFC Championship for the last five years. The Patriots scored first blood with a Rob Gronkowski touchdown catch, followed by a Cairo Santos field goal for Kansas City. The pattern was duplicated in the second quarter, with Tom Brady rushing for a score before Santos kicked another field goal. In the third quarter, after Gronkowski scored his second TD, Alex Smith threw his first to Albert Wilson. The Patriots responded with two fourth-quarter field goals to make the score 27–13 with 10:20 left. Although the Chiefs engineered a touchdown drive late in the game, the drive took up over 5 minutes, and the Chiefs had to force a three-and-out (with three timeouts) to have a chance. On second down, when Brady threw the ball instead of running it to waste time, the ball was batted and miraculously caught by Julian Edelman for a first down, ending the game.

References

  1. ^ "Chiefs earn playoff berth with win over Browns". NFL.com.
  2. ^ "Chiefs clinch playoffs on nailbiter, win ninth straight after 1-5 start". Sports.Yahoo.com.

External links

  • Official website
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Kansas City Chiefs
  • Founded in 1960
  • Formerly the Dallas Texans (1960–1962)
  • Based and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri
Franchise
Stadiums
Key personnel
Culture
Lore
Rivalries
Wild card berths (10)
Division championships (16)
Conference championships (4)
League championships (5)
Retired numbers
Media
Current league affiliations
Former league affiliation
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Kansas City Chiefs seasons
Formerly the Dallas Texans (1960–1962)
Bold indicates AFL Championship (1960–65) or Super Bowl (1966–) victory
Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance