Chiefs’ Week 16 Meltdown Spells Out One Thing

The Kansas City Chiefs lost badly to the Tennessee Titans. What does that say about them as a team, and as an organization?

Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have already been eliminated from the playoffs, so there was no real incentive to go out there and play hard against a Tennessee Titans team with two wins. However, there's a matter of pride, and this franchise has curated its reputation for the past couple of years to be one of the NFL's most premier franchises in the 2020's.

So then why did the Chiefs get utterly boat-raced by the Titans on the road? They lost by 17 points, but the lead felt much larger than that. This is one of the worst losses this organization has suffered in the past couple of years, and the Chiefs have some serious soul-searching to do if they want to get back to the place of grandeur everyone knows they can be.

What Went Wrong?

Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew (17) readies for the snap against the Baltimore Ravens during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

To give the Chiefs some grace, they were already dealing with a backup quarterback heading into the game. I don't believe they would've lost this game with Patrick Mahomes, and who knows what would've happened if Gardner Minshew had been able to play this game to the end.

Two ACL injuries to the first two quarterbacks on your roster are just how this season has gone for the Chiefs. However, when Minshew was in the game, their offense looked anemic and out of sync. At least with Chris Oladokun, the Chiefs had a chance at completing a downfield pass that exceeded five yards.

Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) takes the field prior to a game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Their offense being kept out of the end zone makes more sense when viewed under those lenses, but there's absolutely no excuse for their defense. They had their starting defense out there, and they let up 376 total yards of offense to the Titans!

Their rushing defense was top ten in the NFL, and yet they were getting diced up by Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard all game. Cam Ward didn't even have to do too much, as they combined for 163 yards on the ground between the two of them.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mahomes is aiming to be back by Week 1 of next season, but I believe the roster he's coming back to will be wholly changed. Travis Kelce doesn't look engaged on the field anymore, and even scarier than that, Andy Reid looks checked out on the sidelines.

It's not out of the question to speculate whether Reid calls it a career after this season, and that may be for the best. His offenses don't have the zip they used to, and it's a gamble whether or not Mahomes will be able to return to the player he once was.

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