Chiefs’ quirky winless streak on Giants home field includes Travis Kelce lowlight
Coach Andy Reid’s teams have a 22-4 record after a regular-season bye but one of those losses came at a place where the Chiefs have never found success in their franchise history.
Ever.
In their history, the Chiefs have won at every NFL team’s home stadium, except the Giants. The Chiefs are 0-7 against the Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey (although KC has defeated the Jets who have played in the same building as the Giants).
The Chiefs will try to get that first win on the Giants’ home stadium in their “Sunday Night Football” matchup at MetLife Stadium.
The last time the teams played at the Giants’ home stadium, the Chiefs lost 12-9 in overtime in 2017. It came after the Chiefs’ bye week, and New York had a 1-8 record coming into the game.
Harrison Butker scored all the Chiefs’ points on three field goals, including a 23-yard kick with 1 second left in regulation. The Chiefs’ previous two drives before that tying field goal ended in interceptions, one by Alex Smith and the other by tight end Travis Kelce.
The Chiefs had the ball in decent field position on their 40-yard line when Kelce got the ball on a second-down play and his bomb intended for Demarcus Robinson was picked off by the Giants’ Landon Collins at the New York 14.
Kelce recounted that lowlight in June on his New Heights podcast when Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was a guest. In that 2017 game, Spags was the Giants’ defensive coordinator.
“You’ve got to understand, I went gung-ho,” Kelce recalled. “I had one read, and it was throw it to Tyreek (Hill) and Tyreek looked like he was double covered, so I looked at the backside, back across the field.
“The funniest part is Alex Smith comes running over to me, and I’m just like, ‘I can’t even look coach Reid in the face.’ He’s like, ‘Don’t worry about it. It was like a punt.’
“I was like, ‘it was second down.’”
That was Kelce’s first NFL pass. It would be three years before Reid gave Kelce another opportunity to pass in a game.
Here are a couple of other dubious losses for the Chiefs on the Giants’ home field.
Dec. 17, 2005
Giants 27, Chiefs 17
The Chiefs’ playoff hopes in 2005 were dashed by the Giants and, specifically, running back Tiki Barber.
A Larry Johnson touchdown run tied the game at 10-10 early in the third quarter, but New York outscored the Chiefs 17-7 the rest of the way.
Barber had 220 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, and he caught five passes for 29 yards.
“We did not have a run defense,” Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said afterward. “It is embarrassing. I would never have guessed it.”
The Chiefs routed the Chargers and Bengals to end the season, but missed the postseason by one game.
Nov. 25, 1984
Giants 28, Chiefs 27
The Chiefs had the ball on the Giants’ 1-yard line in the first quarter, but couldn’t get the ball into the end zone on three tries and settled for a 19-yard field-goal attempt. Unfortunately, holder Jim Arnold fumbled the snap and KC got no points.
Still, the Chiefs led 27-14 with 9 minutes, 5 seconds left in the game. But Giants quarterback Phil Simms led a 90-yard touchdown drive in five plays. Then the Chiefs got just one first down before punting.
Simms then drove the Giants 80 yards in seven plays for a touchdown that gave New York the win as the Chiefs saw victory slip through their hands.
“Someday,” Chiefs defensive back Deron Cherry said after the game, “the sun is going to shine on this team.”
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 11:50 AM.
