The Kansas City Chiefs are losing their longtime vice grip on the AFC West. Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos secured a walk-off victory, defeating the Chiefs 22-19 on Sunday. This loss has led to a new set of statistics that jeopardize Kansas City’s bid for a 10th straight division crown.
According to Next Gen Stats released after Denver’s win, the Broncos now hold a 74% chance of winning the division. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, who currently sit at 5-5, have seen their odds plummet to a lowly 10%. Only the Las Vegas Raiders have a lower chance of claiming the division title than Kansas City. Even the Los Angeles Chargers, with a 16% probability, are ahead of the Chiefs in the race.
Kansas City entered the 2025 season aiming for an unprecedented 10th straight AFC West crown, which would have tied them with the New England Patriots’ streak from 2009-2018 (plus the Patriots’ 2019 title). However, that milestone is now slowly slipping away.
So how did things unravel for the Chiefs against the Broncos?
Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs started the fourth quarter with promise. Mahomes orchestrated a six-play, 73-yard drive that culminated in a 21-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. In doing so, Kelce broke a Chiefs record by scoring his 84th career touchdown.
Despite that moment, Kansas City’s offense stalled afterward. Denver forced two consecutive punts on the Chiefs’ next two drives. Then, Bo Nix led the Broncos on a 10-play drive that ended the game. Key completions of 20 and 32 yards— the latter caught by Troy Franklin— helped Denver clinch the win.
The Broncos have not won the AFC West since before the Mahomes era began. Now, Denver looks poised to end their 10-year title drought, while simultaneously snapping Kansas City’s division reign.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/chiefs-news-chances-at-10th-straight-afc-west-title-tumble-after-broncos-loss