What are the best Kansas City Chiefs teams of all-time? We know they have won two Super Bowl titles in their history. Is one of these teams not among the five best?
As Kansas City looks to capture its second title of the Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid era, we thought it made sense to look at some of the greatest teams from the past.
From Len Dawson to Mahomes, there’s a rich history in Kansas City. So, what are the five-best Kansas City Chiefs teams of all-time as this season’s iteration prepares for the AFC Championship Game?
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5. 2018 Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City Chiefs 2018 record: 12-4
- Season results: Lost to the New England Patriots in AFC Championship Game
Mahomes’ first season as Kansas City’s starter was headlined by the former first-round pick winning NFL MVP. The youngster put up nearly 5,100 passing yards with 50 touchdowns, the latter of which represented the second-most in league history. It also resulted in Kansas City ranking first in the NFL in scoring at 35.3 points per game.
The reason why this team is below others in the list of best Chiefs teams of all-time is the fact that its defense yielded north of 26 points per game. That came into play against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Kansas City lost by the score of 37-31 in overtime via a Rex Burkhead touchdown run in the extra stanza. Its defense yielded 524 total yards of offense. That’s not championship caliber, as Reid and Co. would find out.
4. 1968 Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City Chiefs 1968 record: 12-2
- Season results: Lost to the Oakland Raiders in divisional round
The Len Dawson-led Chiefs of the 1960s were defined by some brutal playoff performances. That was no different after the 1968 regular season with Kansas City getting blown out by the rival Raiders in the divisional round, 41-6.
Though, it’s hard to discount what Kansas City did during the regular year. It ranked fourth in scoring at 26.5 points per game while yielding the fewest points in the league (12.1 per outing).
Eight Chiefs defenders earned Pro Bowl appearances. That list included future Hall of Famers Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Johnny Robinson, Willie Lanier and Emmitt Thomas. It remains one of the greatest defenses in league history.
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3. 1966 Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City Chiefs 1966 record: 11-2-1
- Season results: Lost to Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I
Kansas City got the Super Bowl era started against Bart Starr and the Green Bay Packers in 1966. It’s a game that was led by two future Hall of Fame head coaches in Hank Stram and Vince Lombardi. The game also featured a whopping 14 future Hall of Famers starting between the two teams.
Green Bay was two-touchdown favorites heading into the big game, and played like it. The team won by the score of 35-10 while outscoring Kansas City 21-0 in the second half.
It was a bitter end to a season in which Stram led one of the best Kansas City Chiefs teams in history. The regular season saw Kansas City rank first in the league in scoring at 32 points per game. It also yielded the second-fewest points in the AFL.
2. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City Chiefs 1969 record: 11-3
- Season results: Defeated Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV
Finally. The 1969 Chiefs got over the hump after posting a stellar regular season. It came via a 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The Purple People Eaters were no contest for the late-great Len Dawson and Co. That included Otis Taylor catching six passes for 81 yards in the win.
However, Kansas City’s path to winning its first ever Super Bowl was about much more than the big game itself. The team outscored its opponents by an average of two touchdowns per game. Its defense yielded 10 points or less a total of 10 times, including two shutouts during the regular year.
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1. 2019 Kansas City Chiefs
- Kansas City Chiefs 2019 record: 12-4
- Season results: Defeated San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV
Fifty years after winning their first and only Super Bowl, Kansas City found itself back on the NFL’s mountaintop via a fourth-quarter comeback against the San Francisco 49ers. Mahomes and Co. outscored San Francisco 21-0 in the final stanza after entering the final 15 minutes down 10 points.
Minor 1.5-point favorites heading into the big game, Kansas City ran roughshod through opponents in the AFC Playoffs to the tune of 86-55 in two games. It ranked fifth in the league in scoring and seventh in points allowed.
After starting the season with a ho-hum 6-4 record, the Chiefs won nine consecutive games. Seven of those came by double digits, including all three playoff outings. This is, by far, the best Kansas City Chiefs team of all-time.