The Chiefs are 5-0 and their offense may be returning to their dynastic heights
The Kansas City Chiefs your older sibling told you about may finally be back.The Chiefs improved to 5-0 with a 22-6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, and the Patrick Mahomes-led offense that once ran roughshod over the NFL appears to have returned in nearly full force.From 2018 (the year Mahomes became Kansas City’s starting quarterback) to 2022, the Chiefs ranked first in expected points added per play on offense over those five combined seasons, per RBSDM.com, a website that specializes in advanced analytics.
In that time, Kansas City won two Super Bowls while Mahomes won two regular season MVPs.Kenneth Walker III celebrates after scoring a rushing touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.Jamie Squire / GettyFrom 2023 through 2025, however, the Chiefs ranked only 10th in offensive EPA, taking a significant step backward.Kansas City still managed to win one more championship during those three seasons.
But in that time, the Chiefs also suffered a humiliating Super Bowl loss in which their offense crumbled, and last season the team started 6-7 before Mahomes tore his ACL, and ultimately missed the playoffs.Now, in 2026, Mahomes and the Chiefs are undefeated through five games for only the third time in the quarterback’s career, and the offense much more closely resembles the heights of his torrid five-year start compared to the more recent three-season malaise.Entering Week 6, Kansas City ranked fourth in the NFL in EPA per play on offense, which would be the team’s best finish since the 2022 campaign.The Chiefs also entered the week ranked second in EPA per rush, which would be the team’s best mark this decade.For SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSOne poll, multiple outcomes: Why election surveys come with an extra layer of uncertaintyFOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Super Bowl contender has an elite offense and defense — and one potentially fatal flawFOR SUBSCRIBERSAnthropic wants outside input on Claude’s values.
...