Chiefs win fourth straight division title, but ‘The West is not enough’
After 11 seasons in the NFL with three different teams, Kansas City Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy knows how special it is to make the postseason.
So much so, that McCoy made sure he told his teammates in the locker room to soak in the moment Sunday after the Chiefs defeated the New England Patriots 23-16 to clinch a playoff spot with a fourth straight division title.
“I was telling some of the other guys to cherish these moments because this is not normal, this is rare,” McCoy said. “I’m blessed to be a part of it — this is my first year (in KC) — so these guys that have four consecutive AFC West championships? It’s amazing.”
Backup quarterback Matt Moore, who spent time with two other teams on his 12-year career, agreed emphatically.
“It’s special, man,” Moore said. “This doesn’t happen every day for a lot of people, and I get it. They’ve had four straight here and that’s impressive. It’s a testament to the coaching staff and the guys here. I know everyone knows the work is not done, but personally I think it’s pretty cool.”
The Chiefs won the division with Sunday’s win combined with the Oakland Raiders’ 42-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The Chiefs have put together an impressive run of domination in their division under head coach Andy Reid.
Since the 2015 season, Reid holds a remarkable 25-3 record over the other three AFC West teams, with two more games to go this season: one against the Denver Broncos in Week 15 and one vs. the Los Angeles Charges in Week 17.
The Chiefs already swept the Raiders this season.
While the Chiefs would’ve preferred to have won their latest AFC West title in front of the home crowd at Arrowhead Stadium, locking down the division in early December against a quality opponent still brought about a high sense of accomplishment.
“Fourth straight time that we’ve done that here with Coach Reid,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said of clinching the AFC West. “Really proud of the guys in coming up here to New England today — a very tough place to play, a place we’ve had a lot of struggles over the years — getting a victory, winning the division and earn a home playoff game.”
The Chiefs had white championship hats and red T-shirts waiting for them when they entered the locker room following Sunday’s win.
But the wording on the T-shirts, “The West is not enough,” captured the feelings of the players, because there’s still unfinished business to take care of.
“It’ pretty awesome, especially to do it with three weeks left,” Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. “But the Ravens still only have two losses.
“We’re still trying to potentially fight for the No. 1 seed, but it seems likely at this point the No. 2 seed, realistically. So, you just keep going. We’ve got a couple a couple divisional games left, got a game in Chicago, and we’re just trying to finish the season strong and carry that into the playoffs.”
“We’ve still got three games left,” Chiefs linebacker Reggie Ragland said. “We’ve still got a chance to be the first or second seed and get a bye. That’s our goal, man.”
After advancing to the AFC Championship Game last season, the Chiefs want to make a deep run in the postseason for a chance to play in the Super Bowl this time.
And they also know a rematch in January against the Patriots could certainly happen.
“I absolutely think we’ll see them again,” Hunt said. “The Patriots are an incredible franchise. They have a great team. The quarterback is still capable of playing at a high level.
“They have the greatest head coach in the modern era and greatest quarterback in the modern era, so I think there’s a good chance we’ll see them again. It could be back here, it could be at Arrowhead, and we’ll give them the respect they deserve.”
Chiefs defensive end Alex Okafor, who contributed a sack in Sunday’s win, agreed.
“They’re still a damn good ballclub, I’ll tell you that,” Okafor said. “You don’t see the same elite skill players, but at the end of the day they’re the Patriots and they find a way to compete. And that is what’s most important.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
