Concern in Kansas City? The Chiefs Start the Season 0-2
The AFC’s machinery, the Kansas City Chiefs, find themselves in an unusual situation: a season start with two losses. After the 20-17 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl LIX rematch, the team faces an uncommon challenge. The history of Super Bowl losers who start the following season 0-2 is not encouraging. The Chiefs are the eighth team in this situation, and the last time they started like this was in 2014, the second year of coach Andy Reid before the arrival of Patrick Mahomes. We analyzed the Chiefs’ performance compared to the other seven teams that started the season after losing the Super Bowl with an 0-2 record, using DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) data and the quality of opponents.Historical Analysis of Super Bowl Losers with 0-2
- 8. Los Angeles Rams (1980): They lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV. Their season started with losses to the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They finished with an 11-5 record, but lost in the wild card round.
- 7. Atlanta Falcons (1999): They fell to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. They started with losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys. They ended with a disappointing 5-11 record.
- 6. Cincinnati Bengals (2022): They lost to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. They started with close losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. They managed to recover and reach the AFC final.
- 5. Baltimore Colts (1969): They lost to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. They suffered losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. They finished with an 8-5-1 record, missing the playoffs.
- 4. Washington (1984): They lost to the Los Angeles Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII. They started with losses to the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers. They finished with an 11-5 record, but lost in the divisional round.
- 3. Seattle Seahawks (2015): They lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. They started with losses to the St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers. They reached the divisional round, but were eliminated.
- 2. St. Louis Rams (2002): They lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. They started with losses to the Denver Broncos and New York Giants. They finished with a 7-9 record, missing the playoffs.
What Future Awaits the Chiefs?
The Chiefs are ranked 18th in the NFL with a DVOA of -6.6%. However, with adjustments from last season, Kansas City would be in 11th place, surpassing the other teams that started 0-2. Although the Chiefs outgained the Eagles in their last meeting, the defeat highlights the importance of team health, especially of key players like Mahomes. The Chiefs’ schedule presents significant challenges, including matchups against the Ravens, Lions, and Bills before their bye week. Despite these challenges, NFL projections still give the Chiefs a 6.4% chance of reaching Super Bowl LX and a 3.5% chance of winning it. The road is long, but the Chiefs have the ability to turn the situation around.Game highlights between Bengals and Steelers
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Image of the Falcons with a 5-11 record in 1999
