2015 Kansas City Chiefs season

2015 Kansas City Chiefs season
2015 Kansas City Chiefs season
Owner	The Hunt family
General manager	John Dorsey
Head coach	Andy Reid
Home field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	11–5
Division place	2nd AFC West
Playoff finish	Won 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 MVP	Alex Smith, Eric Berry
Team ROY	Marcus Peters
Uniform
	← 2014; Chiefs seasons; 2016 →;

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 2019–2020 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
3	98	Steven Nelson	Cornerback	Oregon State
4	118	Ramik Wilson	Linebacker	Georgia
5	172	D. J. Alexander	Linebacker	Oregon State
5	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 Offensive coordinator – Doug Pederson Quarterbacks – Matt Nagy Assistant quarterbacks – Corey Matthaei Running backs – Eric Bieniemy Tight ends – Tom Melvin Offensive line – Andy Heck Assistant offensive line – Eugene Chung Special projects/spread game analysts – Brad Childress Statistical analysis coordinator – Mike Frazier			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Bob Sutton Defensive line – Tommy Brasher Assistant defensive line – Britt Reid Linebackers – Gary Gibbs Assistant linebackers – Mark DeLeone Defensive backs – Emmitt Thomas Assistant secondary – Al Harris Coaching assistant – Dino Vasso Special teams coaches Special teams – Dave Toub Assistant special teams – Brock Olivo 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 10 Chase Daniel 7 Aaron Murray 11 Alex Smith Running backs 34 Knile Davis 42 Anthony Sherman FB 32 Spencer Ware 35 Charcandrick West Wide receivers 81 Jason Avant 17 Chris Conley 85 Frankie Hammond 19 Jeremy Maclin 12 Albert Wilson Tight ends 84 Demetrius Harris 87 Travis Kelce 82 Brian Parker		Offensive linemen 71 Jeff Allen G/T 76 Laurent Duvernay-Tardif G 72 Eric Fisher T 73 Zach Fulton G/C 61 Mitch Morse C 60 Jarrod Pughsley G 75 Jah Reid T 79 Donald Stephenson T Defensive linemen 97 Allen Bailey DE 70 Mike DeVito DE 96 Jaye Howard DE 93 David King DE 99 Rakeem Nuñez-Roches NT 92 Dontari Poe NT 98 Nick Williams DE		Linebackers 57 D. J. Alexander ILB 55 Dee Ford OLB 91 Tamba Hali OLB 50 Justin Houston OLB 56 Derrick Johnson ILB 90 Josh Mauga ILB 54 Dezman Moses OLB 53 Ramik Wilson ILB 51 Frank Zombo OLB Defensive backs 39 Husain Abdullah FS 29 Eric Berry FS 27 Tyvon Branch SS 31 Marcus Cooper CB 30 Jamell Fleming CB 20 Steven Nelson CB 38 Ron Parker SS 22 Marcus Peters CB 21 Sean Smith CB 49 Daniel Sorensen FS Special teams 2 Dustin Colquitt P 5 Cairo Santos K 41 James Winchester LS		Reserve lists 9 Tyler Bray QB (NF-Inj.Tooltip Non-football injury and illness) 25 Jamaal Charles RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 74 Paul Fanaika G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 23 Phillip Gaines CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 66 Ben Grubbs G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 59 Justin March OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 80 James O'Shaughnessy TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 13 De'Anthony Thomas WR (NF-Inj.Tooltip Non-football injury and illness) Practice squad 44 Tyrell Adams OLB 4 Da'Ron Brown WR 65 Laurence Gibson T 67 Michael Liedtke G 64 Daniel Munyer C 24 Darrin Reaves RB 94 Jimmy Staten DE 88 Ross Travis TE 83 Fred Williams WR Rookies in italics 52 active, 8 inactive, 9 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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	17	14	3	34
Cardinals	10	0	0	9	19

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Date: August 15
Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT/6:00 p.m. MST
Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 62,313
Referee: Pete Morelli
Recap, Game Book

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

KC – Charcandrick West – 6 rushes, 49 yards
ARI – Kerwynn Williams – 7 rushes, 20 yards

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	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	10	3	0	13
Chiefs	0	7	7	0	14

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

SEA – Christine Michael – 10 rushes, 27 yards
KC – Charcandrick West – 13 rushes, 40 yards

Top receivers

SEA – Tyler Lockett – 3 receptions, 42 yards
KC – Frankie Hammond – 3 receptions, 36 yards

Week 3: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 3: Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	0	10	0	0	10
Chiefs	9	8	3	14	34

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

TEN – Dexter McCluster – 5 rushes, 37 yards
KC – Charcandrick West – 9 rushes, 47 yards

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	10	7	0	24
Rams	14	3	0	0	17

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	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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	14	13	0	0	27
Texans	6	3	0	11	20

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Date: September 13
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 71,776
Referee: Pete Morelli
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
Recap, Game Book

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

KC – Alex Smith – 22/33, 243 yards, 3 TD
HOU – Brian Hoyer – 18/34, 236 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

KC – Jamaal Charles – 16 rushes, 57 yards
HOU – Alfred Blue – 9 rushes, 42 yards

Top receivers

KC – Travis Kelce – 6 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Nate Washington – 6 receptions, 105 yards

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	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	14	3	14	31
Chiefs	0	14	3	7	24

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

KC – Jamaal Charles 34-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 9:11. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:23.
KC – Marcus Peters 55-yard interception return (Cairo Santos kick), 6:27. Chiefs 14–0.
DEN – Emmanuel Sanders 16-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Brandon McManus kick), 2:31. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:56.
DEN – Virgil Green 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Brandon McManus kick), 0:48. Tied 14–14. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 1:33.

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

DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 8 receptions, 116 yards
KC – Travis Kelce – 4 receptions, 58 yards

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	7	7	14	28
Packers	14	10	7	7	38

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	9	3	6	21
Bengals	14	0	15	7	36

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Date: October 4
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
Game attendance: 57,498
Referee: Ronald Torbert
TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
Recap, Game Book

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

KC – Jeremy Maclin – 11 receptions, 148 yards
CIN – Mohamed Sanu – 4 receptions, 84 yards

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	3	4	Total
Bears	3	0	3	12	18
Chiefs	7	10	0	0	17

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	0	0	10	10
Vikings	3	7	3	3	16

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: October 18
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 54 °F (12 °C)
Game attendance: 52,480
Referee: Jerome Boger
TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Stacey Dales
Recap, Game Book

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

MIN – Kyle Rudolph 4-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 4:43. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 6:09.

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

KC – Alex Smith – 22/37, 282 yards, TD
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 17/31, 249 yards, TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

KC – Charcandrick West – 9 rushes, 33 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 26 rushes, 60 yards

Top receivers

KC – Travis Kelce – 5 receptions, 88 yards
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 7 receptions, 129 yards

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	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	0	7	3	13
Chiefs	3	6	7	7	23

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

KC – Charcandrick West 1 yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 4:23. Chiefs 16–3. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 5:22.
PIT – Martavis Bryant 19-yard pass from Landry Jones (Chris Boswell kick), 1:40. Chiefs 16–10. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 2:43.

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	3	4	Total
Lions	3	0	0	7	10
Chiefs	7	17	7	14	45

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	10	9	3	7	29
Broncos	0	0	0	13	13

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	6	6	7	14	33
Chargers	0	3	0	0	3

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

KC – Alex Smith – 20/25, 253 yards
SD – Philip Rivers – 19/30, 178 yards, INT

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	3	4	Total
Bills	10	6	6	0	22
Chiefs	0	14	10	6	30

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	0	7	20	34
Raiders	7	7	6	0	20

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

OAK – Latavius Murray 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 10:25. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:35.
KC – Alex Smith 3-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 4:58. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:27.

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	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	3	0	3
Chiefs	0	10	0	0	10

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

SD – Melvin Gordon – 14 rushes, 35 yards
KC – Charcandrick West – 10 rushes, 54 yards

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	14	10	0	10	34
Ravens	7	7	0	0	14

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

KC – Charcandrick West 38-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 9:13. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 5:47.
BAL – Kyle Juszczyk 1-yard pass from Jimmy Clausen (Justin Tucker kick), 6:30. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:43.
KC – Tyvon Branch 73-yard fumble return (Cairo Santos kick), 2:49. Chiefs 14–7.

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	3	4	Total
Browns	0	3	7	3	13
Chiefs	10	7	0	0	17

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

CLE – Johnny Manziel – 13/32, 136 yards, INT
KC – Alex Smith – 15/22, 125 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

CLE – Johnny Manziel – 11 rushes, 108 yards
KC – Charcandrick West – 14 rushes, 62 yards

Top receivers

CLE – Gary Barnidge – 3 receptions, 47 yards
KC – Jeremy Maclin – 5 receptions, 49 yards, TD

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	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	10	0	7	17
Chiefs	14	0	9	0	23

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

KC – Jeremy Maclin 25-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 10:52. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:08.
KC – Spencer Ware 3-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 0:51. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 6:05.

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 talk 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]
^ ^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. ^ ^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. ^ ^a ^b Buffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a ^b Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a ^b Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory. ^ 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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	6	7	10	30
Texans	0	0	0	0	0

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Date: January 9, 2016
Game time: 3:35 p.m. CST
Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 71,800
Referee: Ronald Torbert
TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter

KC – Knile Davis 106-yard kickoff return (Cairo Santos kick), 14:49. Chiefs 7–0.

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

KC – Alex Smith – 17/22, 190 yards, TD, INT
HOU – Brian Hoyer – 15/34, 136 yards, 4 INT

Top rushers

KC – Spencer Ware – 16 rushes, 67 yards, TD
HOU – Alfred Blue – 17 rushes, 99 yards

Top receivers

KC – Travis Kelce – 8 receptions, 128 yards
HOU – DeAndre Hopkins – 6 receptions, 69 yards

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	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	3	7	7	20
Patriots	7	7	7	6	27

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

NE – Rob Gronkowski 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:23. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:37.
KC – Cairo Santos 34-yard field goal, 1:52. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 17 plays, 64 yards, 8:31.

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

KC – Alex Smith – 29/50, 246 yards, TD
NE – Tom Brady – 28/42, 302 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

KC – Charcandrick West – 17 rushes, 61 yards, TD
NE – Steven Jackson – 6 rushes, 16 yards

Top receivers

KC – Jason Avant – 4 receptions, 69 yards
NE – Julian Edelman – 10 receptions, 100 yards

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

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

External links

Official website

[1-3-3] 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.

[6-7-4] 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.

[8-9-5] Buffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.

[12-13-6] Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory.

[15-16-7] Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory.

[8] 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.

[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.

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