The Chiefs Were Historically Unlucky in 2025
What if I told you the Chiefs had one of the unluckiest seasons in modern NFL history?
Their opponents made 97% of field goals against them last year.
31 of 32 field goals!
The Chiefs'opponent make rate was the #2 highest against any team in well over a decade, with a minimum of at least 30 attempts.
Opposing kickers’ ability to bang through field goals played a large role in sending the Chiefs into a tailspin last season.
They won just one of seven games that were decided by 3 or fewer points last year.
Seven games decided by a field goal.
The Chiefs lost six of them.
And these weren’t just one kick at the end to win it, either.
Six Chiefs Losses Decided by Field Goals
The Broncos went 5 for 5 in field goals, including making a 54-yard field goal to tie the game with 4 minutes to go and then kicking the walkoff game winner to win by 3.
The Raiders went 4 for 4 in field goals, including a 60-yard game-winner with less than 10 seconds left to win by 2.
The Chargers, trailing the entire game, kicked a field goal to tie the game at 13 and then the game-winning field goal with less than a minute left from 49 yards to win by 3.
They went 3 for 3 on the night.
Likewise, the Cowboys went 3 for 3 against the Chiefs and won by 3 points.
The Eagles won by 3 with their kicker going 2 for 2 on field goals over 50 yards, making from 58 and 51 yards.
The Jaguars won by 3 with their kicker going 1 for 1, banging home another field goal longer than 50 yards.
All told, in these 6 losses decided by 3 points or less, Chiefs opponents went 20 for 20, including 9 for 9 on attempts of 49 yards or more and 3 for 3 on attempts of 55 yards or more.
Chiefs 2026 Outlook
There are a lot of things the Chiefs have room to improve upon in 2026.
They had 119 penalties, seventh most in the NFL.
They were one of four teams to not score a single return TD on special teams or defense.
They recovered only four fumbles, second-fewest in the NFL.
They need to improve in these areas, but they should fare better in 2026 simply by pure regression.
One thing that surely will go the Chiefs' way next season is the rate at which opponents make field goals against them.
That alone should turn many of those one-score losses into wins.
Explore Kansas City Chiefs 2026 Odds:
The Chiefs are not favored to win the AFC West for the first time since 2018.
