Chiefs report card: Who gets failing grades for effort vs. Titans? Who doesn’t?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs' 26-9 loss drops them to 6-9 and improves 2026 draft positioning.
- Offense stalls without Mahomes: no TD passes in three games and weak yards.
- Defense and rushing collapse: Titans exploit run, produce two TDs and safety.
It was difficult to tell which team entered the game with a 2-12 record and which one had played in five of the past six Super Bowls.
Yes, Patrick Mahomes is out for the Kansas City Chiefs. But Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Nick Bolton and other standouts played. And it didn’t matter in a 26-9 road loss to the Tennessee Titans, who entered the game tied for the NFL’s worst record but ended an 11-game losing streak in their home stadium.
The result means the Chiefs, at 6-9, are guaranteed to finish the 2025 season with a record under .500. But hey, it will improve their draft position in the 2026 NFL Draft this coming spring.
Here’s our weekly report card for the Chiefs, our star of the game (it was tough) and a look ahead to KC’s next game on Christmas Day:
KC STAR OF THE GAME
We’ll give it to linebacker Nick Bolton, came up with his first sack of the season and had an active first half.
He finished with 10 tackles.
Next: The Chiefs play host to the Denver Broncos on Thursday, Christmas Day, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Dec. 25 game will be broadcast on Prime Video and in Kansas City on KSHB (Channel 41).
The Chiefs will get the Broncos’ best shot. Denver is playing for the overall No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
REPORT CARD
Passing offense: F
Not so much a reflection on Chris Oladokun, who did about as well as could be expected in his first meaningful NFL appearance after the early injury to Gardner Minshew. Oladokun completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards.
No, you can hang this poor grade on the Chiefs’ game plan and overall results. They haven’t thrown a touchdown pass since Mahomes tossed four at Dallas on Thanksgiving.
They’ve scored two touchdowns in their past three games. The offense has grown stale and ineffective.
Rushing offense: F
The Titans recorded a safety when Jeffrey Simmons blew past KC tackle Esa Pole to bring down running back Kareem Hunt in the end zone.
Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco led the way with 34 yards, but it seemed odd that rookie Brashard Smith didn’t get more playing time. The Chiefs’ longest run of the game was a Minshew 8-yard scramble.
Pacheco and the offensive line had a nice run on the Chiefs’ first scoring possession, the first with Oladokun at quarterback. That was about it as the Chiefs finished with 51 yards on the ground.
Passing defense: F
Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward entered the game with the NFL’s 31st-best passer rating.
He finished with a season-high 122.3 rating, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Rushing defense: F
The Chiefs had a tough time with Tony Pollard, and Tyjae Spears had a nice game for Tennessee, too. Pollard’s 102 yards marked the second century-mark game against the Chiefs this season.
The Chiefs have done a solid job against the run this season and the Titans entered Sunday’s game ranked 30th on the ground. But that’s how the season has fallen for Kansas City.
Special teams: D
Nikko Remigio’s 35-yard punt return was a season best. And the Chiefs did a decent job of containing speedy return man Chimere Dike.
But Harrison Butker missed another field goal, his fifth brick of the season, and a Kevin Knowles penalty on a field goal try gave the Titans a new set of downs that turned into a touchdown.
In a game where a big special teams play would have been a plus, there was none.
This story was originally published December 21, 2025 at 3:18 PM.