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| 2003 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lamar Hunt |
| General manager | Carl Peterson |
| Head coach | Dick Vermeil |
| Home field | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 13–3 |
| Division place | 1st AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Colts) 31–38 |
| Pro Bowlers | 9
|
| AP All-Pros | 5
|
The 2003 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 34th in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th overall and their third under head coach Dick Vermeil.
The season resulted in a 13–3 winning record, beginning with a nine-game winning streak—the franchise's best start in their 40-year history. The Chiefs won the AFC West and clinched the second seed in the playoffs to clinch their first playoff berth since 1997. Kansas City lost in an offensive shootout at home in the AFC Divisional Playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts 38–31, a game noted for involving no punts from either team's kicking squad.
The season is best remembered for the Chiefs' record-breaking offense. On December 28, running back Priest Holmes broke Marshall Faulk's single-season touchdown record, along with Emmitt Smith's single-season rushing touchdown record, by scoring his 27th rushing touchdown against the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Trent Green threw for 4,000 yards and kick returner Dante Hall returned four kicks for touchdowns. However, the Chiefs' defense would prove to be too big a weakness, as they failed to stop the Colts in the 2003-04 playoffs. The Chiefs offensive line from the season has frequently been considered one of the best offensive lines in NFL history. Two members of the offensive line, Will Shields and Willie Roaf, have been inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with the tight end from the team, Tony Gonzalez.
This would be the last season the Chiefs went undefeated at home until 2024.
The Chiefs originally had the 16th pick in the 2003 NFL draft. Vermeil was intent on selecting a defensive player, but felt that there were no defensive players available with their pick, and traded the pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 27th pick, as well as the Steelers third and sixth-round picks. [1] With the 27th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected running back Larry Johnson from Penn State. [2]
| 2003 Kansas City Chiefs draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Larry Johnson * | RB | Penn State | from Pittsburgh |
| 2 | 47 | Kawika Mitchell | LB | South Florida | |
| 3 | 92 | Julian Battle | DB | Tennessee | from Pittsburgh |
| 4 | 113 | Brett Williams | OT | Florida State | |
| 5 | 153 | Jordan Black | OT | Notre Dame | from New York Jets |
| 6 | 189 | Jimmy Wilkerson | DE | Oklahoma | from New York Jets |
| 7 | 230 | Montique Sharpe | DT | Wake Forest | |
| 7 | 252 | Willie Pile | LB | Virginia Tech | compensatory selection |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOF | August 4 | vs. Green Bay Packers | W 9–0 | 1–0 | Fawcett Stadium (Canton) | Recap |
| 1 | August 9 | San Francisco 49ers | L 6–24 | 1–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Minnesota Vikings | W 26–16 | 2–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 31–42 | 2–2 | Seahawks Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | at St. Louis Rams | W 22–6 | 3–2 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
at Fawcett Stadium, Canton, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 42 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 22 |
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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After beginning the 2003 season 9–0, the Chiefs finished the regular season with a record of 13–3. The Chiefs' offense topped the NFL in almost all statistical categories and Kansas City became favorites to win Super Bowl XXXVIII. [3]
The Chiefs clinched their first AFC West title since 1997 with a 45–17 win against the Detroit Lions, as QB Trent Green became the first player in team history to register a "perfect" 158.3 passer rating in a game. [4]
Kansas City concluded its 13–3 regular season with a 31–3 victory vs. Chicago (December 28), marking a perfect 8–0 a record at home and the club's 13th consecutive regular-season victory at Arrowhead Stadium. In that win, Priest Holmes set a trio of TD records. He finished the season with 27 rushing scores, establishing NFL single-season records for both rushing TDs and total TDs. Holmes (61) also bypassed WR Otis Taylor (60) for the most career TDs scored by a player in Chiefs history. [4]
The Chief's five-win improvement from the previous season tied as the best mark in franchise history. Kansas City became the first AFC team to lead the NFL in scoring in consecutive seasons since San Diego in 1981–1982 as the club produced a franchise-best 484 points. The team also led the NFL with a +19 turnover differential. [4]
Nine Chiefs players received Pro Bowl recognition, the third-highest total in team history, while the club's six offensive Pro Bowlers marked the most in club annals. [4]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | San Diego Chargers | W 27–14 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 41–20 | 2–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | at Houston Texans | W 42–14 | 3–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 17–10 | 4–0 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | Denver Broncos | W 24–23 | 5–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | at Green Bay Packers | W 40–34 (OT) | 6–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 20 | at Oakland Raiders | W 17–10 | 7–0 | Network Associates Coliseum | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | Buffalo Bills | W 38–5 | 8–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | |||||
| 10 | November 9 | Cleveland Browns | W 41–20 | 9–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 19–24 | 9–1 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | Oakland Raiders | W 27–24 | 10–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | at San Diego Chargers | W 28–24 | 11–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Denver Broncos | L 27–45 | 11–2 | Invesco Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | Detroit Lions | W 45–17 | 12–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 20 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 20–45 | 12–3 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Recap |
| 17 | December 28 | Chicago Bears | W 31–3 | 13–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
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The Chiefs hosted San Diego and raced to a 24–0 lead behind two Priest Holmes rushing scores and a Trent Green touchdown to Johnnie Morton. Drew Brees of the Chargers was intercepted twice in the 27–14 Chiefs win.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
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The Steelers scored first on a Chad Scott interception, but after leading 10–0 Pittsburgh was torched by Dante Hall’s 100-yard kick return score. Priest Holmes ran in three touchdowns while Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox was intercepted three times including one returned for a touchdown by Jerome Woods in a 41–20 Chiefs win. During halftime the chiefs held a ceremony honoring former head coach Hank Stram inducting him into the ring of honor at Arrowhead Stadium.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Chiefs made their first trip to Houston since September 1996, now playing in Reliant Stadium next door to the Astrodome. Kansas City's aggregate winning streak against Houston NFL teams reached five as Houston was hammered 42–14 despite two Trent Green interceptions. The Chiefs rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Ravens | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
| Game information | ||
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The Ravens held the Chiefs to 265 yards of offense and out-rushed them 202 yards (Jamal Lewis accounted for 115 yards and the tying touchdown in the final six minutes) to 129, but Dante Hall raced in the winning score (17–10 Chiefs) on the kickoff following Lewis’ score and Kyle Boller was intercepted at the Chiefs 2-yard line in the final minute. Ex-Raven Priest Holmes had 25 touches (22 carries and four catches) for a combined 103 yards.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
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Dante Hall’s signature touchdown came in the fourth quarter with the 4–0 Chiefs trailing 23–17 against the 4–0 Broncos. In the final nine minutes, he caught a punt, was chased back to his three-yard line, then cut left, and stormed past the Denver punt coverage unit to score. Jason Elam missed a Broncos field goal attempt but Priest Holmes fumbled at the Broncos eight-yard line. Jake Plummer advanced the Broncos to their 28 but went no further.
The Chief's 24–23 win came despite being outgained in yardage 468-262 and despite two turnovers to one by Denver.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 40 |
| Packers | 14 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 34 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
| Game information | ||
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This edition of the rematch series from the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game became one of the most competitive games of the season. The Packers raced to a 14–0 lead before two Trent Green touchdowns tied the game. The Packers scored seventeen straight points in the second and third quarters but early in the fourth Priest Holmes scored. Brett Favre was then intercepted by Jerome Woods at the Chiefs 21 and Woods scored. Exchanges of field goals (Morten Anderson’s 31-yard kick came with one second left) left the game tied 31–31. The Chiefs in overtime called eight straight Holmes rushes before trying a 48-yard field goal; the kick was blocked by Cletidus Hunt. On the Packers possession Ahman Green was immediately stopped by Woods and Woods forced the fumble recovered at the Chiefs 49; Trent Green then unloaded deep to Eddie Kennison and Kennison scored, thus ending a 40–34 Chiefs triumph.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California
| Game information | ||
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| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 38 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Despite 124 rushing yards from Travis Henry and getting a safety on a Kansas City punt, the Bills were humiliated 38–5. Drew Bledsoe was intercepted three times and Alex Van Pelt two more while Trent Green had two touchdowns and 273 yards.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 3 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Trent Green had 368 yards and three touchdowns, Priest Holmes added two scores on the ground, and the Browns were limited to 199 yards of offense in a 41–20 Chiefs win. During halftime the chiefs in a ceremony honored their former running back Marcus Allen inducting him into the ring of honor.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 19 |
| Bengals | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
| Game information | ||
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An undefeated season (attending Miami's overtime win over the Ravens members of the 1972 Dolphins kept a close watch on this game) would not transpire as the Bengals surged to their fifth win, fulfilling a pregame prediction by Chad Johnson (seven catches, 74 yards) of a Bengals win. Jon Kitna’s 77-yard strike to Peter Warrick effectively ended the 24–19 Bengals upset despite a late Trent Green score.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The 3–7 Raiders refused to go quietly as they erased a 21–7 Chiefs lead. Jerry Rice scored for the first time all season but the Chiefs broke a 24–24 tie on Morten Anderson’s field goal with four seconds left.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Chiefs reached eleven wins leading wire to wire at Qualcomm Stadium despite two Trent Green interceptions to go with two Green touchdowns. Priest Holmes exploded to 162 rushing yards and two scores.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Chiefs suffered their second loss of the season 45–27. The game lead tied or changed six times in the first three quarters but after taking a 24–21 lead the Broncos added 21 more points. Clinton Portis ran in five touchdowns for Denver.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 45 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The 4–9 Lions were crushed 45–17 as Trent Green threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns while Priest Holmes added three scores of his own. It was Steve Mariucci’s only career loss to the Chiefs. This is Detroit's most recent visit to Kansas City; the Lions return there in 2023.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| Vikings | 7 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| Game information | ||
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Having clinched the AFC West the Chiefs were vying for a playoff bye. The top conference seed slipped away in this Saturday game as the Vikings forced four Chiefs turnovers, raced to a 31–0 lead, and didn't look back despite a three-touchdown barrage by 10:05 to go in the fourth. Despite the 45-20 loss, the Chiefs gained on a playoff bye on Denver's win over the Colts the next day.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With New England's shutout win over the Bills the previous day the Chiefs could only secure a playoff bye as the second conference seed. They did so 31–3 on three rushing scores while the 7-9 Bears used three quarterbacks who combined for two interceptions.
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 484 | 332 | W1 |
| (6) Denver Broncos | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 381 | 301 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 270 | 379 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 313 | 441 | W1 |
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | |||||
| Divisional | January 11 | Indianapolis Colts (3) | L 31–38 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 14 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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This offensive shootout became the second game without a punt in NFL playoff history, and first since the Buffalo Bills played the San Francisco 49ers in 1992. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while Edgerrin James ran for a career postseason high 125 yards and two scores. On the Kansas City side, Dante Hall caught a touchdown and returned a kickoff for another; and Priest Holmes, who set the regular-season rushing touchdown record, rushed for 176 yards, caught 5 passes for 32 yards, and scored twice. Kansas City quarterback Trent Green threw for 212 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 18 yards in his first career postseason game. The Chiefs defense failed to stop the Colt's offense. Kansas City's defensive coordinator Greg Robinson was asked to resign the following week.
The 2006 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 37th in the National Football League (NFL), their 47th overall, their 44th in Kansas City, and their first under head coach Herm Edwards. Despite failing to improve on their 10–6 record from 2005, they finished 9-7 and made a wild card playoff spot, unlike the previous year.
The 1993 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League and the 34th overall. They improved on their 10–6 record from 1992 and won the AFC West and with an 11–5 record. Kansas City advanced all the way to the AFC Championship before losing to the Buffalo Bills 30–13, which started the Chiefs' 8-game playoff losing streak. It would be 22 years before the Chiefs would win another playoff game, and 25 years until they won another playoff game at Arrowhead.
The 2005 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 36th in the National Football League (NFL), their 46th overall, and their fifth and final season under head coach Dick Vermeil.
The 2004 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 35th in the National Football League (NFL), their 45th overall and their 42nd in Kansas City.
The 2002 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 33rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd overall and the franchise's 40th in Kansas City, Missouri.
The 2001 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 32nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their 42nd overall. It was their first year under head coach Dick Vermeil and 13th under general manager Carl Peterson. They finished the regular season with a 6–10 record.
The 2000 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 31st in the National Football League (NFL), their 41st overall and their second and final season under head coach Gunther Cunningham. They failed to improve on their 9–7 record from 1999 and finished the season 7–9, marked by a series of on and off-field struggles and incidents.
The 1998 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 39th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 29th overall.
The 1995 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 26th in the National Football League (NFL), their 33rd in Kansas City and their 36th overall. The team improved on their 9–7 record from 1994 and finished the regular season with a 13–3 record and the AFC West division championship. However, the Chiefs suffered a devastating loss in the divisional round of the 1995–96 AFC playoffs when placekicker Lin Elliott missed three crucial field goals, allowing the Indianapolis Colts to win 10–7. Due to the retirement of Joe Montana, the Chiefs made a change at the quarterback position, by starting Steve Bono, who started two games in 1994 while Montana was injured.
The 1994 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 25th season in the National Football League, the 32nd as the Kansas City Chiefs and the 35th overall. They failed to improve their 11–5 record from 1993 and finishing with a 9–7 record and Wild Card spot in the 1994–95 playoffs. The Chiefs lost to the Miami Dolphins 27–17 in the wild-card round. Alongside celebrating the NFL's 75th anniversary season, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana retired following the season.
The 1991 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 22nd season in the National Football League and 32nd overall. They failed to improve on their 11–5 record from 1990 and finished with a 10–6 record. Compared to the Chiefs' 1990 campaign, Steve DeBerg’s consistency had dropped. The running game made up for lost time as Christian Okoye ran for 1,031 yards for the season, Barry Word was productive, and rookie Harvey Williams was outstanding in limited playing time. The Chiefs defeated their division rival, the Los Angeles Raiders in the Wild Card round, resulting in the franchise's first playoff victory since Super Bowl IV in 1970. The next week, the Chiefs lost to the Buffalo Bills in the divisional playoffs.
The 1990 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 21st season in the National Football League, the 28th as the Kansas City Chiefs and the 31st overall. The team improved from an 8–7–1 record to an 11–5 record and Wild Card spot in the 1991 playoffs. In Marty Schottenheimer's first playoff appearance with the Chiefs, they lost to the Miami Dolphins 17–16 in the wild-card round. Starting with the home opener, the Chiefs began an NFL-record 19 consecutive seasons with every home game sold out. The streak was finally broken in the final home game of the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs season versus Cleveland.
The 1989 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 20th in the National Football League, their 30th overall and their first under head coach Marty Schottenheimer and general manager Carl Peterson. They improved on their 4–11–1 record from 1988 and finished with an 8–7–1 record. The Chiefs did not qualify for the playoffs in for the third straight year but did send four players to the Pro Bowl. The Chiefs Week 11 10–10 tie against the Cleveland Browns remains the most recent tie in Chiefs history.
The 1986 Kansas City Chiefs season marked the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League and the 27th overall. The season concluded with a 10–6 record, representing the team's best performance since 1971. This successful run earned The Chiefs a wild card playoff berth, although their postseason journey was cut short by a New York Jets 35–15.
The 2011 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 42nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 52nd overall and their third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Todd Haley and Scott Pioli. A 10–6 record in their 2010 season lent high expectations to their 2011 season, but the Chiefs suffered reversed fortunes. A season-ending hand injury to their starting quarterback Matt Cassel in their eighth game of the season proved especially significant. After a 4–4 record with Cassel at the helm, the Chiefs staggered to a 7–9 win–loss record by season end and failed to make the playoffs.
The 2013 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 44th in the National Football League (NFL), their 54th overall and their first under the head coach/general manager tandem of Andy Reid and John Dorsey. After their 26–16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, which was also coach Andy Reid's first visit to Philadelphia since the Eagles fired him the season prior, the Chiefs vastly improved on their 2–14 record from 2012 just three weeks into the season. However, despite starting 9–0, the Chiefs would struggle in the second half of the season, losing 5 out of their last 7 games, and losing control of the AFC West. Despite that, they would still make the playoffs. After defeating the New York Giants 31–7 in Week 4, the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to win two or fewer games in the previous season, and win the first four games the next. On October 13, 2013, against the Oakland Raiders, Chiefs fans broke the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at an outdoor stadium with 137.5 decibels. Seattle Seahawks fans later reclaimed the record on December 2, 2013, with a roar of 137.6 decibels. After the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver Broncos in Week 7, the Chiefs were the final undefeated team in the NFL. They were the first team in NFL history to earn the number one draft pick and be the last undefeated team in consecutive years.
The 2014 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 45th in the National Football League (NFL), their 55th overall and their second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Andy Reid and John Dorsey. The Chiefs broke the crowd noise record on Monday Night Football against the New England Patriots on September 29, 2014 with a crowd roar of 142.2 decibels. The Chiefs failed to match their 11–5 record from 2013, and missed the playoffs. However, they defeated both teams that would eventually meet in that season's Super Bowl: the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. The 2014 Kansas City Chiefs became the first NFL team since the 1964 New York Giants, and the only team in the 16 game season era, to complete an entire season with no touchdown passes to a wide receiver.
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. They are the first team since the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals to start the season 1–5 and qualify for the playoffs. They also set the franchise record for the most consecutive victories, winning 10 in a row. 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 2023–24 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.
The 2016 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 47th in the National Football League (NFL), their 57th overall and their fourth under head coach Andy Reid and the fourth and final season under general manager John Dorsey who was fired June 22, 2017. The Chiefs clinched their first AFC West division title since 2010, beginning a streak of nine consecutive that still stands as of 2024. The Chiefs also clinched a first-round bye for the first time since 2003, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional round 18–16.
The 2017 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 55th as the Kansas City Chiefs, the 58th overall, the fifth under head coach Andy Reid, and first under general manager Brett Veach. They won the AFC West, but lost to the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round after blowing a 21–3 lead at the half. The season was the first to feature future two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes whose first start came in the last game of the regular season against the Denver Broncos, a game which had no playoff implications as the Chiefs had secured the division in Week 16.
