How The Chiefs Finally Won A One-Score Game In 2025

The Kansas City Chiefs entered Sunday’s must-win game 0-5 in one-score contests — just one season after rattling off a 12-0 record in those tight games, including the playoffs.

Make that 1-5 after they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 in overtime.

“This is exactly what we needed,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We’re able to prove we can win a game like this.”

How did they reverse their fortune and finally win their first close game of 2025?

Well, the same things that derailed them in five previous losses — ignoring the running game, poor special teams play, excessive penalties, allowing crucial first-down conversions — finally went their way.

Kareem Hunt and the Running Game

Even though opposing defenses had been daring the Chiefs to run the ball by flooding coverage lanes and going light in the box all season long, Kansas City had eschewed the running game.

Most glaringly, the Buffalo Bills have been a sieve against the run all season, but the Chiefs only had their running backs carry the ball 16 times, including 11 by Kareem Hunt, in the 28-21 loss to them.

On Sunday the Chiefs ran the ball 41 times, and Hunt became the first Chiefs player to have a 100-yard rushing game this season, recording 104 yards on 30 carries.

“He dominated today,” wide receiver Rashee Rice said.

In fact, Hunt, who is on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, greatly outgained Jonathan Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher and the fourth highest-paid running back at $14 million per year. The Colts running back managed just 58 rushing yards on 16 carries.

Improved Special Teams Play

By his own metrics that he implements, special teams coordinator Dave Toub admitted the Chiefs ranked just 22nd in the NFL in that phase.

Though the Chiefs did have three holding plays on returns, their overall special teams play was good.

The Chiefs did not allow any long returns like when Marvin Mims burned them for a 70-yard punt return last week.

Harrison Butker, who struggled early in the year and missed an extra point last week, made five field-goals, including the game-winning 27-yard kick.

“Special teams came through when we needed ’em,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said.

Avoiding Penalties

Despite the holding penalties on special teams, the Chiefs had a cleaner game on Sunday, committing just seven penalties for 57 yards, even though they played nearly an extra quarter of football.

The Chiefs entered Sunday’s game tied for 16th in the NFL with 69 for 577 yards.

Several of those had been drive killers, putting the Chiefs behind the chains, and their offense isn’t as potent as it used to be, making unfavorable down and distances particularly difficult to overcome.

Just before the end of the first quarter, tight end Travis Kelce lined up as quarterback, took the snap and ran it in for a four-year touchdown, but a very questionable facemask call on offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor nullified it.

Because of his abundance of penalties, Jawaan Taylor is likely to be released after the season. He has one year left on his four-year, $80 million contract but has a potential out after the season.

Bad Luck in 2025

The poor call on Jawaan Taylor, though, was typical of the bad luck the Chiefs faced this year. Kelce and Xavier Worthy collided in Week One and sidelined Worthy with a shoulder injury for three games, a drop by Kelce in the end zone led to a game-changing interception in Week Two and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence fell twice but still ran in the game-winning score in Week Five.

After that 31-28 victory, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen beamed.

“Huge win for us, especially with the one-score game thing,” he said. “That team has historically won the majority of their one-score games.”

Indeed those one-score games in 2024 included the luck of Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely’s foot being just out of bounds on an end-zone reception; a blocked, last-second, 35-yard field goal vs. the Denver Broncos and quarterback Aidan O’Connell fumbling a snap, denying the Las Vegas Raiders a field-goal attempt to win on Black Friday.

Shoring Up the Defense

What partly undid the Chiefs in the one-score game last week against the Broncos was allowing first-down conversions on 3rd and 15 and 2nd and 8 on Denver’s game-winning drive.

Though the Chiefs allowed a 48-yard completion on a 3rd and 1 in the second quarter vs. the Colts, the defense closed the game with four straight three-and-outs.

That standout defensive performance enabled the Chiefs to improve to 6-5 and remain in the playoff race.

“We needed a win like this,” Mahomes said. “Now we’ve just got to build off of that momentum.”