Chiefs have a chance to match Patriots and equal all-time NFL record

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It’s not been as smooth a path as in past seasons, but the Kansas City Chiefs can keep a lengthy streak intact on Monday.

With a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs can celebrate Christmas Day and another AFC West title at the same time.

It’d be the eighth successive time they finish first in their division, the longest active streak in the NFL.

It would also inch them closer to another impressive run.

Here’s a look at the Chiefs’ dominance in the division and what a Christmas Day victory will mean.

Chiefs Closing in on Patriots Record

A win at Arrowhead versus Las Vegas would improve Kansas City’s record to 10-5 this season, making them uncatchable in the AFC West.

The Denver Broncos could still technically tie them if they win their remaining contests and KC loses their final two encounters.

Should that happen, both teams would end the season with the same overall record (10-7), division record (4-2) and common games shared (8-4).

The Chiefs, however, would hold the next tiebreaker over Denver, the conference record, with KC currently at 7-2 on that front and the Broncos at 4-5.

Denver can do no better than 6-5 against the AFC between now and the end of the regular season, meaning they need the Chiefs to lose out to claim the division.

Kansas City’s seven successive division title streak is tied with the Los Angeles Rams, who claimed the NFC West crown from 1973-1979.

The New England Patriots hold the all-time record in that category, with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick leading them to 11 consecutive AFC East titles from 2009 to 2019.

Avoiding Some New Lows

Regardless of how they do it, another divisional title would be quite an achievement, but a couple more losses could set the wrong kind of history.

Since Patrick Mahomes became the Chiefs starting quarterback in 2018, this team has lost at most five games in a single regular season.

They’ll have to win their remaining contests against the Raiders, Bengals and Chargers to avoid that.

Since the league introduced the Wild Card Round, losing six or more games in the regular season does not bode well for KC come playoff time.

Historically, the Chiefs have ended the regular season with six losses on five occasions and still made the playoffs, most recently in 2017.

They lost to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round that season by the thinnest of margins (22-21).

KC suffered six defeats in 2010, 2005, 1992, 1991 and 1986, missing the postseason in 05.

On those other occasions, they lost in the Wild Card Round each time except in 1991 when they defeated the Los Angeles Raiders (10-6) with Joe Montana under centre.

With Andy Reid as Chiefs head coach, they haven’t lost more than seven games in a single season, missing the playoffs in 2014 for the first and only time under his leadership.

Mahomes has won at least a dozen games as this team’s starting QB.

The Chiefs will have to win out for that streak to remain intact.