Chiefs notes: Opponents for 2015 season are set

The Chiefs, by virtue of their sweep of San Diego, will be considered the second-place team in the AFC West, so their 2015 schedule will include AFC games against Buffalo at home and at Houston in addition to home-and-home games with AFC West rivals San Diego, Oakland and Denver.

The Chiefs will also play AFC North teams Cleveland and Pittsburgh and NFC North teams Chicago at home and Detroit in London. They’ll play at AFC North teams Baltimore and Cincinnati and at NFC North teams Green Bay and Minnesota.

Charles hits 1,000 yards once again

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles added a hamstring strain on Sunday to the foot and ankle problems he’s suffered this season but still rushed for 54 yards and finished the season with 1,033 yards, extending his club record to five seasons with at least 1,000 yards.

“I was a little beat up the whole season,” said Charles, who turned 28 Saturday. “I was beat up the whole week trying to fight this all week. And I made it out, but I couldn’t finish the game.”

While Charles is looking forward to some rest before the Jan. 25 Pro Bowl, he’d prefer getting ready for a playoff game.

“I’m going to be missing playing football,” Charles said. “I wish we could have made it to the playoffs. We hurt ourselves by not finishing the game last week and (two) weeks before (Arizona). It’s going to definitely be heartbreaking to watch other teams in the playoffs this season, and we aren’t in it with nine wins this season.

“I am glad Coach (Andy) Reid is here because he brings a consistent winner here and he can come back next year and find better players and help us get to that playoff game.”

History doesn’t repeat for Chiefs

When Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt came to the stadium Sunday, he was hopeful of a repeat of 2006, when his team won the regular-season finale and made the playoffs when three other teams lost.

Instead, falling short of the playoffs despite winning on Sunday reminded him of 2005.

“This year probably now feels more like 2005 where won enough games (10), you would think, to get in the playoffs. But it just didn’t happen for us,” he said.

Chargers are also disappointed

The Chiefs weren’t alone in their disappointment in missing the playoffs. Had San Diego won, the Chargers would have clinched a playoff spot. The loss to the Chiefs eliminated them.

“It’s a tough league,” said Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. “We controlled our own destiny coming into Arrowhead: a great place to play with great fans, a good team, and we win and get in. But then we don’t, so it’s tough. It’s a humbling game. It can build you up and put you back down.

“Credit to Kansas City … but there’s nothing to hang our heads about in the locker room. We fought to the end, all 16 of them. We just came up short of getting a 17th game.”

This story was originally published December 28, 2014 at 10:28 PM with the headline "Chiefs notes: Opponents for 2015 season are set."