Week after week the Kansas City Chiefs post wins in the NFL. Nine for nine thus far. Week after week, despite the Chiefs having won the past two Super Bowls, critics refer to them as lucky. This week they are being called the worst 9-0 team in NFL history.
I guess the critics are basing their belief on the numbers. Here are some stats for you.
Thirty-four teams in NFL history have started a season 9-0. The Chiefs’ plus-58 point differential is the lowest of any of them. Their total margin of victory is barely a quarter of the plus-208 point differential racked up through nine games by the 2007 New England Patriots on their way to the NFL’s most recent undefeated regular season.
Eight other NFL teams this season have a higher point differential than the Chiefs. The one-loss Detroit Lions lead the NFL at plus-113, followed by the two-loss Buffalo Bills at plus-97. Even the three-loss Washington Commanders (plus-73) and Los Angeles Chargers (plus-68) rank above Kansas City.
The naysayers point out that seven of Kansas City’s nine wins have come by a single score. In fact, four have been in doubt until the final play of the game.
The latest close call came last Sunday against Denver when Kansas City salvaged a game that seemed all but lost. Leo Chenal clinched a 16-14 Chiefs victory by blocking Will Lutz’s potential game-winning 35-yard field-goal attempt.
The lingering question about this year’s Chiefs team is how good they actually are. Are the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs fortunate and beatable, as their critics suggest? Or is their success in close games a testament to their formula of relying on a great defense, a Super Bowl-proven head coach and extremely talented quarterback?
I will readily admit that these Chiefs aren’t as dominant or explosive as many previous 9-0 teams or recent KC teams, but they’re also far from the worst of the bunch.
It’s important to consider that these Chiefs have made it to mid-November without a loss despite facing the NFL’s eighth-hardest schedule thus far. The nine teams that Kansas City has faced this season are 42-36 against opponents other than the Chiefs.
The Chiefs are at their best this season when they rely on their defense, keep games close and give Patrick Mahomes the chance to win in the fourth quarter.
I call it resolve, call it making their own breaks, but the Chiefs’ 9-0 record is not luck.
