The Kansas City Chiefs return to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday to take on the NFC North's Chicago Bears. Kickoff is slated for 3:25 p.m. CT. KC enters the contest with a 1-1 record after defeating the Jaguars 17-9 last Sunday. The Chiefs are 26-9 in the month of September during Head Coach Andy Reid's tenure.
Kansas City is in the midst of its quest for an eighth straight AFC West title. Over the last four seasons the Chiefs have played in three Super Bowls (LIV, LV and LVII). Kansas City has hosted a record five-straight AFC Championship Games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. In 2022, the Chiefs finished with a 14-3 record and the number one seed in the AFC.
KC has clinched seven-consecutive AFC West titles, tying for the secondlongest streak in NFL history (NE - 11, 2009-19). Since 2015, Kansas City has tallied a 42-6 record (.875) against AFC West opponents, the NFL’s best divisional record over an eight-year span since divisional realignment in 2002.
Under Reid, KC has qualified for the postseason nine times in 10 seasons and has nine 10+ win seasons. Reid owns 270 career victories (regular and postseason combined). He ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time wins list. He has tallied 118 regular season wins in Kansas City.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is in his sixth season as the club’s starting quarterback. As the starter, Mahomes has led the team to five-consecutive home AFC Championship Games, three Super Bowl appearances and earned NFL MVP (2018, 2022) and Super Bowl MVP honors (2019, 2022).
Since 2018, he leads the league in yards (24,488), touchdowns (196), 25+ yard completions (211) and first down throws (1,205). With only 50 interceptions (since 2018), he owns a +146 TD/INT ratio, the highest mark of any active QB in that span. He owns 42 career games of 300+ passing yards.
TE Travis Kelce has recorded an NFL record seven-straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons (1,338 yards in 2022). He owns 35 games with 100+ receiving yards (most in NFL history for a tight end) and has caught at least one pass in 162 consecutive games (reg. and postseason). Since entering the NFL in 2013, Kelce leads all tight ends in receiving yards (10,370) and receptions (818). He ranks first in touchdowns (70) and catches of 25+yards (81).
Defensively in 2023, the Chiefs rank third in the NFL in points allowed (23) and have given up only two touchdowns in the first two games. The 2023 Chiefs feature several new faces including two new tackles, Jawaan Taylor (RT) and Donovan Smith (LT). The club drafted DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the first round (31st overall) and WR Rashee Rice in the second round (55th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft held in Kansas City.
For the first time in six seasons, the Chiefs have a new offensive coordinator. OC Matt Nagy takes on that role for the club after serving in that same capacity from 2016-17. This year’s regular season schedule features eight games vs. seven playoff teams from 2022. The combined 2022 record of Kansas City’s 2023 home and away opponents is 147-140-0 (.512).
What to Watch For
• Head Coach Andy Reid currently sits tied with PFHOF coach Tom Landry for fourth-most combined wins (regular season and postseason) as an NFL head coach with 270. With a win versus the Bears, he would claim out right fourth place on the list.
• QB Patrick Mahomes is second in franchise history with 1,622 yards rushing as a quarterback, trailing only Alex Smith (1,672). With 51 more rushing yards he will become the franchise leader in that category.
• Since entering the NFL in 2017, Mahomes has the third-most games with a passer rating of 100+ with 46 despite playing only one game in 2017. He is one such performance behind Vikings QB Kirk Cousins (47) for second on the list and only four such performances behind Broncos QB Russell Wilson (50) in the top spot.
• With 24,772 career passing yards Mahomes is only 228 yards away from 25,000 for his career. If he were to achieve that mark Sunday against the Bears he will have done so in just 83 career games. That would be the fewest games to reach 25,000 passing yards in NFL history, seven fewer games than the next closest, Rams QB Matthew Stafford (90).
• Mahomes is also closing in on a milestone for career passing touchdowns. At 196 career passing touchdowns he is just four shy of the 200 mark.
• With 47 touchdown connections Mahomes and TE Travis Kelce currently sit fourth all-time for most QB-TE touchdown connections in NFL history. With five more they can pass QB Drew Brees and TE Jimmy Graham (51) for third all-time.
• Kelce currently holds the second-longest active streak of consecutive games played with a pass reception at 144. Only Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins has a longer active streak with 147. Kelce’s streak is already the longest such streak in franchise history and the third-longest in NFL history for a tight end, just seven games from passing PFHOF TE Ozzie Newsome (150) for second.
• With 73 career touchdowns scored, Kelce ranks third in franchise history. With four more touchdowns, Kelce will surpass PFHOF TE Tony Gonzalez (76) for second place on the list.
• Kelce has scored 448 career points. That is third among non-kickers in Chiefs history (seventh overall). With 15 more points he will pass Gonzalez (462) for second most as a non-kicker (and sixth overall).
• WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling is close to hitting two career yardage milestones. With 2,949 career yards from scrimmage, he is just 51 yards shy of 3,000. He is also just 99 yards short of 3,000 career receiving yards currently sitting at 2,901.
• CB L’Jarius Sneed has 6.5 career sacks, which is tied for second-most by a defensive back in Chiefs history. With two more sacks he can pass CB Ron Parker for the top spot on that list.
• K Harrison Butker has hit 23 field goals of 50+ yards since 2017. He is just one such field goal shy of breaking into the top five in that category among all NFL kickers.