Halfway Through the Season, How Have the Chiefs Stayed Undefeated?

The Kansas City Chiefs won't stop winning, showing traits as an organization that have fostered a winning culture from top to bottom.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, center, talks to quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) next to tight end Travis Kelce (87) before a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 26-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kansas City Chiefs host the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium at noon on Sunday. Halftime of that game will mark the precise midway point of the season for the Chiefs, a team coming off back-to-back Super Bowl championships, hoping to make NFL history with a third-consecutive title. With a target on their back and injuries piling up, what has this team done through the first nine weeks of the season? All they’ve done is start 8-0 to remain the only undefeated team left in the league. What have we learned about this team so far this season? What do they need to do to keep this winning streak going?

What we've learned: toughness, leadership and resiliency

The three biggest traits of this team that keep the train rolling down the track are toughness, leadership and resiliency. Patrick Mahomes is the face of it all, playing through an ankle injury at a high level while leading the offense to their greatest output of the season last week in an overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hopefully everyone in Chiefs Kingdom has taken some time to really appreciate what they have in Mahomes. It feels like something he was born with, along with his intense training, to be able to bounce back from injuries much quicker than other athletes, let alone typical human beings. This guy is a freak, and what Mahomes does for this team should not go underappreciated.

Leadership in the organization has been incredible. Of course, Mahomes factors into the leadership of this team along with other captains like Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and Harrison Butker. The locker room has been steady for years. Head coach Andy Reid factors into the steadiness and the weekly approach to each game. His leadership is unquestioned at this point in his career and he may end up going down as the greatest head coach in NFL history by the time he retires. 

General manager Brett Veach has helped take this team to another level — along with the willingness of ownership to extend and sign players — to keep this dynasty rolling. Not only has Veach and his staff nailed the draft the past several years, they've also made moves to bolster the depth of the team in case injuries start mounting up like they have this season. Additionally, adding veterans like Kareem Hunt and trading for DeAndre Hopkins has been paramount in keeping the team afloat this season. Leadership has been such a bright spot in this organization and it continues to be a shining light this season. 

With all of the injuries that have piled up this season, the team has been more resilient than ever. The “next man up” attitude is real and has been needed. Depth on the team has been depleted, but the Chiefs continue winning. With a mindset that, the team will keep winning no matter who plays. The players show up week in, week out without fail. 

How can the Chiefs continue to win?

They shouldn’t change a darn thing. Just keep doing what they’ve been doing. Sure, there are some adjustments that can be made on the field, but during the week in that locker room, the Chiefs have something special. It all goes back to the leadership and accountability that is held between players and coaches every week during the season. That’s something that can’t be duplicated around the league, and it's a major reason why no one seems to be able to get on the same level as the Chiefs. 

Kansas City has some tough games on the second half of the schedule. Playing at Buffalo in Week 11 and a three-game stretch between December 15-25 will put their physical and mental toughness to the test. The Chiefs should be getting some injured players back for the homestretch of the season and into the playoffs as well. The scary thing for the rest of the league is that the Chiefs could actually get better as the postseason approaches when they add Isiah Pacheco, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Charles Ominehu and others back into the mix. 

With the second half of the regular season to play, the Chiefs are in a great spot. They are undefeated and have a clear path to the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They are the betting favorite to win their third-consecutive Super Bowl. No matter what is thrown at them, the Chiefs continue their winning ways, and that’s all you can ask of this team for the rest of the season.

Read More: Chiefs vs. Broncos Injury Report: Good News for Kansas City with One Exception