The Kansas City Chiefs have had a long history. While some moments have been heartbreaking for teams that could have won a championship, others have pushed past the adversity to give the franchise four Super Bowl championships including three in the past six seasons.
While the Super Bowl victories go in their own category, they’re not the only playoff moments that have left Chiefs fans celebrating. From Patrick Mahomes to Joe Montana to Len Dawson, the Chiefs have produced many memorable moments when the playoffs have come around.
Click to jump to a moment:
- 13. Texans (Chiefs) vs. Oilers (AFL Championship Game): KC Earns First Title in Franchise History
- 12. Chiefs vs. Jaguars (2022 AFC Divisional Round): Henne’s Long Drive Sparks the Chiefs
- 11. Chiefs vs. Ravens (2023 AFC Championship Game): Kelce, Chiefs Defense Lead KC Back to the Super Bowl
- 10. Chiefs vs. Bills (2023 Divisional Round): Chiefs Foil Bills’ Homefield Advantage as Tyler Bass Goes Wide Right
- 9. Chiefs vs. Browns (2020 Divisional Round): Henne Saves The Day on 4th and 1
- 8. Chiefs vs. Oilers (1993 Divisional Round): Joe Montana’s 4th Quarter Comeback Sends Chiefs to First AFC Championship Game
- 7. Chiefs vs. Eagles (Super Bowl LVII): Mahomes’s Comeback Leads to Chiefs’ Third Title
- 6. Chiefs vs. Vikings (Super Bowl IV): Chiefs Win Their First Super Bowl
- 5. Chiefs vs. Colts (2018 Divisional Round): Chiefs Finally Get the Best of the Colts
- 4. Chiefs vs. 49ers (Super Bowl LVIII): Chiefs Go Back-to-Back in OT
- 3. Chiefs vs. Bills (2021 AFC Divisional Round): Mahomes Ties the Game in 13 Seconds
- 2. Chiefs vs. 49ers (Super Bowl LIV): Chiefs Finally End Their Championship Drought
- 1. Chiefs vs. Texans (2019 Divisional Round): The Moment Everything Changed
13. Texans (Chiefs) vs. Oilers (AFL Championship Game): KC Earns First Title in Franchise History
The Chiefs franchise was only three years old at this point and hadn’t even moved to Kansas City. But the first big win came under the name of the Dallas Texans when they dismantled the Buffalo Bills in the 1966 AFL Championship Game.
The Texans jumped out to a 17-0 lead early thanks to an Abner Haynes 28-yard touchdown reception from Dawson and a two-yard rushing touchdown by Haynes in the second quarter. But the Oilers answered back with 17 unanswered points to send the game to overtime.
Tommy Brooker’s game-winning field goal from 25 yards out gave the Texans the AFL Championship and the team was moved to Kansas City the following year.
12. Chiefs vs. Jaguars (2022 AFC Divisional Round): Henne’s Long Drive Sparks the Chiefs
The Chiefs had gotten past their playoff failures during the 2019 season but they were still looking to add to their trophy case when they hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round of the 2022 playoffs. The Chiefs jumped out to a 10-7 lead on a 50-yard field goal by Harrison Butker with 14:09 left in the second quarter but the game appeared to be flipped upside down when Mahomes suffered an ankle injury.
With Mahomes reluctantly going to the locker room for further examination, it put backup Chad Henne into the game with the Chiefs beginning a drive at their own two-yard line. The tough spot didn’t seem too much for Henne, who led a 12-play, 98-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to build a 17-7 lead. Mahomes returned to finish the game and the Chiefs walked away with a 27-20 victory.
11. Chiefs vs. Ravens (2023 AFC Championship Game): Kelce, Chiefs Defense Lead KC Back to the Super Bowl
The Chiefs had appeared in four Super Bowls during the Mahomes era by the time this game happened, but the path they traveled during the 2023 season was their most difficult. Having to go on the road to face the Buffalo Bills in the previous round, Kansas City’s reward was to visit Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, who were hosting their first conference championship game since being founded in 1996.
Unfortunately for the home crowd, Kelce and the Chiefs defense were ready to serve up some disappointment. Kelce caught a 19-yard touchdown from Mahomes to open the scoring in the first quarter and finished the day with 11 catches for 116 yards. Kansas City ran its lead up to 17-7 going into halftime and when Zay Flowers caught a 54-yard pass in the third quarter to create a threat, a taunting penalty and a fumble at the goal line helped the Chiefs remain in control.
The Ravens cut the lead down to 17-10 on Justin Tucker’s 43-yard field goal with 2:34 to play but a 32-yard pass from Mahomes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a 3rd and 9 iced the game and sent Kansas City back to the Super Bowl.
10. Chiefs vs. Bills (2023 Divisional Round): Chiefs Foil Bills’ Homefield Advantage as Tyler Bass Goes Wide Right
To make it to Baltimore, the Chiefs had to go through top rival Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The Bills finally had homefield advantage in this game after making five straight trips to Arrowhead Stadium and they rode the momentum to take a 17-13 lead into halftime.
The Chiefs took the lead back on the first drive of the second half when Mahomes hit Kelce for a three-yard touchdown but the Bills jumped in front again on Allen’s 13-yard pass to Khalil Shakir with 3:23 left in the third quarter. Kansas City took the lead again on a four-yard touchdown run by Isiah Pacheco and the rest of the game was a test to the blood pressure of Chiefs fans.
The Bills were their own worst enemy when the Chiefs stopped a fake punt attempt by Demar Hamlin. But Allen set Tyler Bass up for the game-tying field goal on Buffalo’s next drive. Bass’s 44-yard kick went wide right and the Chiefs were able to pick up a first down and run out the clock to escape Orchard Park with a 27-24 win.
9. Chiefs vs. Browns (2020 Divisional Round): Henne Saves The Day on 4th and 1
Much like the Jacksonville game a few years later, Henne was called on to save the day for the Chiefs when Mahomes left the 2020 divisional round matchup against the Cleveland Browns with a concussion. Henne entered the game with a 19-10 lead but fired a pair of incompletions before Harrison Butker extended it with a 33-yard field goal.
The Browns responded with an 18-play touchdown drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown run by Kareem Hunt to cut the lead down to 22-17 and Henne fired an interception on the following drive to make things interesting.
There was a sense of doom but the Browns were unable to capitalize and had to punt the ball back to the Chiefs. The game went down to the final drive with the Chiefs facing a 4th and 1 on their own 48 yard line. But instead of running it, Andy Reid called a pass that allowed Henne to find Tyreek Hill for a five yard reception that picked up the first down and allowed the Chiefs to earn a 22-17 victory.
8. Chiefs vs. Oilers (1993 Divisional Round): Joe Montana’s 4th Quarter Comeback Sends Chiefs to First AFC Championship Game
The Chiefs had not been to a conference title game since the NFL-AFL’s merger became official in 1970 and things were looking bleak when the Chiefs entered the fourth quarter down 13-7. Fortunately, Kansas City made the bold move to trade for Joe Montana the previous offseason and he proceeded to turn back the clock to lead the Chiefs back to the doorstep of the Super Bowl.
Montana was great, throwing for 299 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, but the real impact came with two fourth quarter touchdowns, following up a go-ahead touchdown pass to J.J. Birden with another scoring toss to Willie Davis to give the Chiefs a 21-13 lead.
When Warren Moon’s touchdown pass to Ernest Givins cut the lead down to 21-20, Montana answered again with a 41-yard pass to Kevin Cash that set up Marcus Allen’s 21-yard touchdown run that helped the Chiefs make their first AFC title game with a 28-20 win.
7. Chiefs vs. Eagles (Super Bowl LVII): Mahomes’s Comeback Leads to Chiefs’ Third Title
Coming off a title in 2019, the Chiefs were trying to make sure their championship window didn’t go to waste during the 2022 season. The Chiefs had lost in the Super Bowl in 2020 and were defeated in the AFC Championship Game in 2021 and the Philadelphia Eagles had them on the ropes again with a 24-14 lead at the half.
Instead of reverting to previous Chiefs history, Mahomes began to lead the Chiefs back. Pacheco cut into the lead early in the third quarter and after a Jake Elliott field goal, Mahomes gave Kansas City a 28-27 lead on a five-yard pass to Kadarius Toney.
A four-yard touchdown toss to Skyy Moore extended the lead but when Jalen Hurts tied the game with a two-yard touchdown and two-point conversion run, Mahomes ripped off a 26-yard scramble on a 3rd and 1 and used a pass interference penalty on Eagles CB James Bradberry to put Butker in range for the go-ahead field goal with 11 seconds to play. Butker made the field goal and the Chiefs won their third Super Bowl by a score of 38-35.
6. Chiefs vs. Vikings (Super Bowl IV): Chiefs Win Their First Super Bowl
It’s difficult to weigh the Chiefs’ first Super Bowl compared to the current dynasty but Kansas City made its first entry into the trophy case by defeating the Minnesota Vikings at the end of the 1969 season.
Minnesota entered the game as 12-point favorites according to Pro Football Reference but Jan Stenerud kicked three early field goals to put Kansas City up 9-0. Mike Garrett’s five-yard touchdown run gave the Chiefs a 16-0 lead before halftime and although Dave Osborne made it a 16-7 game in the fourth quarter, Dawson connected with Otis Taylor for a 46-yard touchdown pass that effectively put the game away.
The 23-7 victory saw the Chiefs hold the Vikings to 239 yards of total offense and head coach Hank Stram was the first coach in NFL history to be mic’d up on the sideline.
5. Chiefs vs. Colts (2018 Divisional Round): Chiefs Finally Get the Best of the Colts
The Chiefs have had many playoff adversaries but toward the top of the list stands the Indianapolis Colts. Coming into this game, the Colts had been at the hands of some of Kansas City’s most devastating defeats including “The Lin Elliott Game” in 1995, “The No Punt Game” in 2003, a Wild Card loss in 2010 and 45-44 Wild Card loss that saw the Colts erase a 38-10 deficit in 2013.
Long story short, a win over the Colts would have been therapeutic for Chiefs fans and Kansas City obliged by not even making it close. Kansas City took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised to a 31-13 victory. The Chiefs would lose the AFC Championship Game the following week when Dee Ford lined up offsides, but it was the first hurdle to clear that set up Kansas City’s current dynasty.
4. Chiefs vs. 49ers (Super Bowl LVIII): Chiefs Go Back-to-Back in OT
After defeating the Philadelphia Eagles the previous year, the Chiefs were looking to become the eighth franchise in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls. But standing in their way was Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers.
The game went back and forth before Butker sent the game to overtime tied at 19-19 on a 29-yard field goal. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won the coin toss and opted to take the ball first, giving San Francisco the lead on Jake Moody’s 27-yard field goal but allowing Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to know exactly what they needed to win the game.
The Chiefs rolled out a 13-play, 75-yard drive knowing that time was no longer a factor and Mahomes hit Mecole Hardman for a three-yard, walk-off touchdown to give Kansas City its second straight Super Bowl win by a score of 25-22.
3. Chiefs vs. Bills (2021 AFC Divisional Round): Mahomes Ties the Game in 13 Seconds
The Chiefs won a Super Bowl in 2019 but tehy still weren't a dynasty in 2021. Kansas City would eventually have to wait another year in 2021, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game, but it appeared their fortune was turning around after defeating the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.
The Chiefs held a 26-21 lead in the fourth quarter before all hell broke loose after the two-minute warning. Allen gave the Bills the lead on a 27-yard touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis with 1:54 remaining but the Chiefs jumped back in front when Mahomes hit Hill for a 64-yard touchdown with 1:02 to play. Allen had another response when he found Davis again for a 19-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left and it appeared that the Bills were on their way to the AFC Championship Game.
Fortunately for Chiefs fans, that was just enough time for Mahomes. A 19-yard pass to Tyreek Hill was followed up by a 25-yard pass to Kelce and it set Butker up with a 49-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. Kansas City won the coin toss and took the ball first, using an eight-play drive capped off by a game-winning touchdown pass from Mahomes to Kelce for the 42-36 victory.
2. Chiefs vs. 49ers (Super Bowl LIV): Chiefs Finally End Their Championship Drought
Coming into Super Bowl LIV, it had been 50 years since the Chiefs had been to the Super Bowl. A long history of near misses preceded the trip to Miami, so it was only fitting that Mahomes needed to overcome a little adversity to get the elusive Super Bowl ring.
The 49ers built a 20-10 lead when Raheem Mostert scored on a one-yard run with 2:35 left in the third quarter. Although Mahomes cut into the lead with a one-yard touchdown pass to Kelce with 6:13 remaining in the fourth quarter and Damien Williams scored on a five-yard run with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter, the 49ers had an opportunity to go back ahead when Emmanuel Sanders got behind the Kansas City defense on a 3rd and 10 with 1:34 remaining.
Jimmy Garoppolo overthrew Sanders, however, and Williams scored another touchdown to put the game away and give Kansas City its first championship of the Mahomes era by a score of 31-20.
1. Chiefs vs. Texans (2019 Divisional Round): The Moment Everything Changed
One would assume the first championship today’s fans experienced would go down as the biggest playoff moment in the history of the franchise. But if you talk to some Chiefs fans, the biggest moment of the 2019 season happened in the divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans.
At this point, the Chiefs were still a cursed franchise scarred by decades of heartbreak. In the opening moments of this game, it looked like that pattern would continue as the Texans built a 24-0 lead on Ka’Imi Fairbairn’s 31-yard field goal with 10:54 left in the second quarter. But that’s when things changed.
Mahomes fired four touchdown passes in the final 9:55 of the first half including three touchdowns to Travis Kelce to take a 28-24 lead into halftime. Williams also ran for three touchdowns and the Chiefs out-scored the Texans 51-7 for the remainder of the game en route to a 51-31 victory.
Chiefs fans know what happened from here and it may have been the launching point for the NFL’s modern dynasty.