Kansas City Chiefs: 2016 Season Was a Failure for Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs fell short of the AFC Championship Game when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional Round at Arrowhead Stadium. It resulted in many fans considering the 2016 season as a failure.

So much potential thrown down the drain for this year’s Kansas City Chiefs. The defense, as mentioned on the broadcast, was a “bend, but don’t break” squad, rendering big yards, but not giving up a lot of points. The offense had playmakers who could score at any moment’s notice. Special teams was at its peak.

Why is 2016 a failed a season then, you ask? Well, that’s simple. The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t play to their seed.

After winning the toughest division in football with a 12-4 record, the KC Chiefs had a first round bye and home field advantage in the divisional round. Even with everything going for them, they faltered under the pressure and exited the playoffs early once again.

This was Kansas City’s year to make the AFC Championship Game. They had everything going for them and really should have beaten the Steelers. Dumb mistakes and not executing cost them that opportunity though and it sucks.

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In 2015, the Chiefs started off 1-5 and a lot of fans had written them off. They then went on to win ten straight regular season games and FINALLY were able to win a playoff game. They accomplished something they hadn’t in 22 years and that’s why 2015 was a successful season.

The next step was to make it to the AFC Championship Game, and that didn’t happen this season. Even when it really should have happened.

The 2016 season saw the Chiefs overcome a lot of obstacles: Sweeping the division, doing well on primetime television, and winning the freaking AFC West for the first time since 2010. While some might look at that as success, I still say no.

When all of that is going in your favor, you have to take care of business and win the big games that count. The KC Chiefs didn’t do that and now will have to watch the final two rounds of the playoffs from home.

What makes it worse is that this was a VERY winnable game for the Chiefs. Not only that, but the Patriots showed during their game that they’re not invincible. The Chiefs could have gone to Foxborough and knocked off the New England Patriots had they just taken care of business against Pittsburgh.

I asked on KC Kingdom’s Twitter account if fans considered the season a success or not. Here are some of the best answers I received.

There were quite a few references to the 2012 season in the responses, which makes sense. Here was a team that went 2-14 and were horrendous on the football field. Four seasons later, they’re legit contenders. So why can’t they get over that hump?

In my opinion, had the Chiefs won on Sunday, the season would have been successful. It wouldn’t have mattered how they won, but getting to the AFC Championship Game would have spelled success. That’s just me though.

Next: Good, Bad, Ugly Vs Steelers in Divisional Round

Some might say this season was successful. Some might say only a Super Bowl win would have equaled success for them. Whatever the reason, the Chiefs still didn’t play to their seed and that means a failed season for me.

That isn’t a knock on what the organization has done. I’m thankful for Andy Reid and how he’s turned this franchise around, but when you get the two-seed and have a bye in the playoffs, you have to play like you belong there. The Chiefs didn’t do that.

What do you think, Chiefs Kingdom? Was this season a failure for you or do you think it was a successful one?