After a dominant season in 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2025 hasn’t gone exactly how they wanted. The team now sits at 5-5 after losing to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving.

The Chiefs sit 3rd in the AFC West division and potentially risk missing out on reaching the playoffs.

What has gone wrong for the Chiefs this season? Let’s unpack it.

There are many factors behind the Chiefs’ downfall this season. According to former player and current analyst Damien Woody, the Chiefs’ aura has faded after losing to the current AFC West division leaders Denver Broncos, a few weeks ago.

“I think the aura is gone in Kansas City,” Woody highlighted on ESPN’s GetUP. “I think this is a team where it’s kind of like New England from the past, where half the battle was mental. But I think teams going into this game are like the hell with Kansas City. I don’t think teams are scared of the Kansas City Chiefs anymore.”

The lack of aura, from the Chiefs, along with their lack of discipline, high number of penalties, and inconsistent execution, are the causes behind the slump the Chiefs find themselves in this season.

“In this league, it’s going to come down to one-score games. That’s what coach Reid preaches right when we start off training camp every single year. It’s about who executes at a higher level, and we haven’t done that as a team throughout these first five weeks,” Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes emphasizes.

Despite reaching the Super Bowl the past few years and winning back-to-back championships, coach Andy Reid believes in the importance of taking care of the smaller things.

You’ve got to take care of the small things … Why are we having the penalties? Then, let’s fix that. Don’t point to the officials. … all those things you control … small things, but they all add up,” Reid pointed out.

Reid further values the importance of the team improving in certain areas and knows that’s the only thing that matters now. “We know what we need to clean up, and we need to do it. But the guys, they get it. … We just got to clean up a few of these things, and the urgency level, obviously, we got to make sure we take care of that now.”

Last season, the Chiefs dominated the NFL, finishing the season with a 15-2 record, the best in franchise history. However, this season so far has been a disappointing turnaround.

Can the Chiefs dominate the NFL in the back half of the season and lock in a playoff spot?

Featured Image: Kansas City Chiefs logo: Image by  https://www.flickr.com/photos/royharryman/53511010136/ Roy Harryman.  Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.