Not only did the Kansas City Chiefs pick up their 5th loss of the season this past Sunday, but Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton chose to rub some salt in the wound.
"The team we are playing is more of a first-half team," Payton stated during the broadcast on CBS Sports ahead of Sunday's second half. He liked Denver's chances of finishing the game, and he nailed the prediction. It was a daring comment to make against the defending AFC champs, which aged perfectly as the Chiefs collapsed late in the game, giving the Broncos a key victory.
Payton felt so confident in Denver's ability to finish the game after halftime that he openly challenged the fact that the Chiefs couldn't finish. As one Chiefs fan noted, it is hard to fault Payton's daring comment when your roster is now 0-5 in one-score games a year after putting together an incredible 17-game winning streak in one-score affairs. Now, it seems that a bit of the mystique has worn off for Kansas City.
There is no denying that in years past, the Chiefs have benefited from the fear they have garnered based on past accomplishments. Playing Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid carried a certain weight that often caused opposing players and coaches to fold in crunch time.
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The comments from the rival coach show that this fear has worn off, with many pointing to last season's Super Bowl loss as the reason why. Getting blown off the field by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fashion the Chiefs did emboldened rivals and opposing teams to believe that this mystique had worn off; there seems to be less fear around facing a team that many view as predictable.
If Payton is bold enough to be making these types of comments during an interview at halftime, it is fair to wonder how the rest of the league views the Chiefs. There is no longer the sense of fear that the team had previously inspired. This should serve as a wake-up call for Andy Reid and perhaps signal the need for some coaching changes.
Whether it is letting OC Matt Nagy go or opting to shake up lower-level staff, it is clear that the five losses this season demand change. Each loss speaks to a predictable offense and a team that hasn't been able to deliver when the game matters most. While this reflects on players and coaches, it is only the coaching staff that you can easily shake up at this point in the season.
Payton, honestly, did Kansas City a favor by pointing out just how predictable and vanilla they have become. This is why the fear around the league has worn off and, in turn, demands that Kansas City's front office make some changes. Whether that starts with changes to the offensive coaching staff, which hasn't helped in what has been an incredibly frustrating 2025 season, remains to be seen.