The Kansas City Chiefs sit at 2-3 after the first five weeks of the 2025 NFL season. Obviously, that is not where they wanted to be going into the year. Patrick Mahomes even mentioned after Monday's loss that the Chiefs had “lost too many games already.”
Yet, there are still some silver linings for Kansas City after blowing a lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars. For one, the offense is producing at a clip that should lead to victories if its pace remains largely sustainable. Mahomes has started out the season impressively from an individual standpoint.
Meanwhile, the AFC West is a messy, tight race. But most of all, the entire AFC is not very good right now. That can all change in a short span, as the Chiefs know. And if Kansas City fails to get better, it really will not matter how weak the AFC is this season.
For many of the last handful of years, the AFC was largely seen as the more dominant conference in the league. But in 2025, the NFC has truly seen some juggernauts materialize on their side of things. The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles reign supreme. However, multiple teams like San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Detroit, and Green Bay only have one loss currently. Many other feisty squads are intermingled in the mix of the NFC as well.
The AFC has generally been a tougher conference to come out of in terms of getting to the Super Bowl. Sure, the Chiefs have been getting to the Super Bowl at a high rate. But because of the quarterbacks and defenses they have faced over the years, the difference in opponent quality was noticeable. That has flipped considerably so far in 2025.
Quarterback injuries to Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow have relegated the Ravens and the Bengals to floundering, desperate teams searching for hope.
Teams like Houston, Miami, and Las Vegas have veteran talent throughout their rosters. Depth and personnel issues, along with a lack of clear direction, have certainly affected those teams to different degrees.
You then have one-loss teams like Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Jacksonville. Most people did not have much belief in any of those three to be true contenders entering the season. The Steelers are relying on one of the oldest rosters in the NFL. Can the Colts actually come through against the better teams after beating up on some weaker units? Finally, the Jaguars may have the most impressive victories on paper so far.
All of this is to say, Kansas City is not in as dire a situation as they could be sitting at 2-3. The schedule does not get any easier over the next handful of contests. However, the Chiefs have proven that they can show up and answer with their backs against the wall for years now.
Monday's loss can be chalked up to many items. Mainly, penalties and defensive issues paved the way for a Jaguars comeback. If you look at how the Chiefs’ defense has bounced back from bad performances in recent years, you have to be confident there.
In the end, the offense over the last three games has to give K.C. fans even more hope that they can turn this around. Mahomes has played urgent, smart football, while still taking more chances than he did last year. His yards-per-attempt average paints the picture of a more aggressive Mahomes. The weapons have found their groove for the most part. And very soon, Rashee Rice will be back in the mix as the player the team views as their WR1.
Kansas City still has to come through in their areas of improvement. Yet, the Chiefs won a Super Bowl two years ago when the rest of the AFC played with their food and failed to capitalize. Now, in 2025, the AFC is as bad as it has collectively been since Mahomes became the starter.