The 2015 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League, the 56th overall and the third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Andy Reid and John Dorsey. The Chiefs went through a poor start in their first 6 games as they were 1–5, and lost their star running back, Jamaal Charles due to a torn ACL in his right knee during an 18–17 Week 5 loss at home against the Chicago Bears. In week 16, after their 9th consecutive victory and the Baltimore Ravens defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chiefs clinched a playoff berth, their 2nd in 3 years.[1] They are the first team since the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals to start the season 1–5 and qualify for the playoffs.[2] They also set the franchise record for the most consecutive victories, winning 10 in a row. In their wildcard matchup, the Chiefs played the Houston Texans. The Chiefs defeated the Texans 30–0 to earn their first playoff win in 22 years. The following week, they were defeated by the New England Patriots in the Divisional round by a score of 27–20.
Roster changes
Offseason
Reserve/future free agent contracts
Cuts
Trades
Free agents
2015 draft class
- Notes
- The Chiefs traded their fifth-round selection (No. 154 overall) to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for guard Ben Grubbs.
- The Chiefs traded their 3rd round pick (80th overall) and their 6th round pick (193rd overall) to the Minnesota Vikings for their 3rd round pick (76th overall)
Preseason transactions
Cuts
Cuts to 75
| Position | Player |
| WR | Kenny Cook |
| T | Anthony Dima |
| LS | Andrew East |
| CB | Aaron Hester |
| DE | Vaughn Martin |
| CB | Kenneth Penny |
| G | Marcus Reed |
| TE | Adam Schiltz |
| WR | Jeret Smith |
| DL | Charles Tuaau |
| WR | L’Damian Washington |
| WR | Junior Hemingway |
| OL | Tevon Rooks |
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Cuts to 53
| Position | Player |
| WR | Da'Ron Brown |
| DE | Mike Catapano |
| S | Sanders Commings |
| LB | Ja'Gared Davis |
| DT | Hebron Fangupo |
| C | Garrett Frye |
| DL | David Irving |
| LB | James-Michael Johnson |
| C | Eric Kush |
| WR | Tello Luckett |
| C | Daniel Munyer |
| DB | Deji Olatoye |
| G | Jarrod Pughsley |
| RB | Darrin Reaves |
| DB | Kevin Short |
| OT | Derek Sherrod |
| TE | Ryan Taylor |
| FB | Spencer Ware |
| WR | Fredd Williams |
| TE | Richard Gordon |
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Regular season transactions
Suspensions served
| Position | Player | Length | Reason | Weeks
served |
| CB | Sean Smith | 4 games | Violation of personal
conduct policy | 1-4 |
Signings
| Position | Player | Previous team |
| TE | Brian Parker | San Diego Chargers |
| RB | Spencer Ware | Kansas City Chiefs* |
| DL | David King | Seattle Seahawks |
| T | Jah Reid | Baltimore Ravens |
| T | Jarrod Pughsley | Kansas City Chiefs* |
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Players involved in multiple transactions
This list is for players who were involved in more than one transaction during the season
| Position | Player | Final status |
|---|
| LB | Dezman Moses | Chiefs active roster |
| WR | Frankie Hammond | Chiefs active roster |
| WR | Saalim Hakim | Free agent |
| OL | Daniel Munyer | Chiefs active roster |
*Indicates player was signed off the practice squad of the team listed
Staff
| 2015 Kansas City Chiefs staff |
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Front office
- Chairman/CEO – Clark Hunt
- President – Mark Donovan
- General Manager – John Dorsey
- Director of Football Administration – Trip MacCracken
- Director of Football Operations – Chris Ballard
- Co-Director of Player Personnel – Mike Borgonzi
- Co-Director of Player Personnel – Brett Veach
- Director of College Scouting – Marvin Allen
- Director of Pro Scouting – Will Lewis
Head coaches
- Head Coach/Executive Vice President Of Football Operations – Andy Reid
- Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers – David Culley
- Spread Game Analyst/Special Projects – Brad Childress
- Statistical Analysis Coordinator – Mike Frazier
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
- Strength and Conditioning – Barry Rubin
- Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Travis Crittenden
- Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Brent Salazar
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Final roster
| 2015 Kansas City Chiefs final roster |
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Practice squad
Rookies in italics
53 Active, 8 Inactive, 10 Practice squad
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Schedule
Preseason
Regular season
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Postseason
Game summaries
Regular season
Week 1: at Houston Texans
Week One: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs |
14 |
13 |
0 | 0 | 27 |
| Texans |
6 |
3 |
0 | 11 | 20 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
|
|
Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
|
|
Week 3: at Green Bay Packers
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
|
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Week 4: at Cincinnati Bengals
| Game information |
|
21-36
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- KC – Alex Smith
- CIN – Andy Dalton
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
|
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Week 5: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Five: Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears |
3 |
0 |
3 | 12 | 18 |
| Chiefs |
7 |
10 |
0 | 0 | 17 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
|
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Week 6: at Minnesota Vikings
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
|
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Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week Seven: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers |
3 |
0 |
7 | 3 | 13 |
| Chiefs |
3 |
6 |
7 | 7 | 23 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 76,365
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Stacey Dales
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions
- NFL International Series
Week 8: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions |
3 |
0 |
0 | 7 | 10 |
| Chiefs |
7 |
17 |
7 | 14 | 45 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
- Date: November 1
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. GMT/8:30 a.m. CST
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 83,624
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 10: at Denver Broncos
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 11: at San Diego Chargers
Week Eleven: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs |
6 |
6 |
7 | 14 | 33 |
| Chargers |
0 |
3 |
0 | 0 | 3 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 22
- Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 65,837
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 12: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week Twelve: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
10 |
6 |
6 | 0 | 22 |
| Chiefs |
0 |
14 |
10 | 6 | 30 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 29
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy and rainy
- Game attendance: 72,493
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 13: at Oakland Raiders
Week Thirteen: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs |
7 |
0 |
7 | 20 | 34 |
| Raiders |
7 |
7 |
6 | 0 | 20 |
at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 3:05 p.m. CST/1:05 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), overcast
- Game attendance: 55,010
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
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- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 14: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week Fourteen: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers |
0 |
0 |
3 | 0 | 3 |
| Chiefs |
0 |
10 |
0 | 0 | 10 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 15: at Baltimore Ravens
Week Fifteen: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs |
14 |
10 |
0 | 10 | 34 |
| Ravens |
7 |
7 |
0 | 0 | 14 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 20
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 70,791
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Chris Fischer
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week Sixteen: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns |
0 |
3 |
7 | 3 | 13 |
| Chiefs |
10 |
7 |
0 | 0 | 17 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 27
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 69,115
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
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- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Week 17: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week Seventeen: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders |
0 |
10 |
0 | 7 | 17 |
| Chiefs |
14 |
0 |
9 | 0 | 23 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: January 3, 2016
- Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 76,114
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
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- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
- Top tacklers
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Postseason
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (#4) Houston Texans
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (#5) Kansas City Chiefs at (#4) Houston Texans – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs |
7 |
6 |
7 | 10 | 30 |
| Texans |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
| Game information |
- 1st quarter
- 2nd quarter
- KC – Cairo Santos 49-yard field goal, 12:50. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:30.
- KC – Cairo Santos 49-yard field goal, 7:06. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 3:29.
- 3rd quarter
- KC – Chris Conley 9-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 4:35. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 11 plays, 94 yards, 5:23.
- 4th quarter
- KC – Spencer Ware 5-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 14:56. Chiefs 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:13.
- KC – Cairo Santos 33-yard field goal, 3:59. Chiefs 30–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:13.
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- Leading passers
- Leading rushers
- Leading receivers
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The Texans, who won the weak AFC South division with a 9–7 record, were completely crushed by the Chiefs. The Chiefs made postseason history as the first ever team to score a kick return touchdown in the opening play of the playoffs, when Knile Davis returned the opening kick 106 yards for a touchdown. After that, the game started to slow down, 3 and out Texans, 3 & out Chiefs, followed by a string of turnovers, Eric Berry's interception of Brian Hoyer, Brian Cushing's interception of Alex Smith two plays later, and a Hoyer fumble recovered by Dontari Poe on the ensuing drive. The Chiefs made a field goal on the drive, and although the team was able to get to the 2 yard line, a negative run by J. J. Watt and another interception by Hoyer ended the Texans' closest chance at scoring in the entire game. Although the Texans' defense forced a 3-and-out, Hoyer threw his third interception to Marcus Peters on the second play of their drive.
AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (#2) New England Patriots
| Game information |
- 1st quarter
- 2nd quarter
- NE – Tom Brady 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:23. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 98 yards, 5:36.
- KC – Cairo Santos 32-yard field goal, 0:12. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 3:11.
- 3rd quarter
- NE – Rob Gronkowski 16-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:24. Patriots 21–6. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:07.
- KC – Albert Wilson 10-yard pass from Alex Smith (Cairo Santos kick), 2:12. Patriots 21–13. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:12.
- 4th quarter
- NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 14:46. Patriots 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:26.
- NE – Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard field goal, 10:20. Patriots 27–13. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:06.
- KC – Charcandrick West 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 1:13. Patriots 27–20. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 5:16.
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- Leading passers
- Leading rushers
- Leading receivers
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The Chiefs, who had won 11 straight, travelled to Gillete Stadium to face the Patriots, who had advanced to the AFC Championship for the last 5 years. The Patriots scored first blood with a Rob Gronkowski touchdown catch, followed by a Cairo Santos field goal for Kansas City. The pattern was duplicated in the 2nd quarter, with Tom Brady rushing for a score before Santos kicked another field goal. In the 3rd quarter, after Gronkowski scored his second TD, Alex Smith threw his first to Albert Wilson. The Patriots responded with 2 fourth quarter field goals to make the score 27-13 with 10:20 left. Although the Chiefs go on a touchdown drive late in the game, the drive took up over 5 minutes, and the Chiefs had to force a 3 and out (with 3 timeouts) to have a chance. On 2nd down, when Brady threw the ball instead of running it to waste time, the ball was batted and miraculously caught by Julian Edelman for a 1st down, ending the game.
Standings
Division
Conference
References
External links
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- Founded in 1960
- Formerly the Dallas Texans (1960–1962)
- Based and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri
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| Personnel | |
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| Culture | |
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| Rivalries | |
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| Playoff appearances (18) | |
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| Division championships (8) | |
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| League championships (2†) |
- † does not include 1966 or 1969 AFL championships
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| Retired numbers | |
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| Media |
- Television:
- Radio:
- Personalities:
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| Current league affiliations | |
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| Former league affiliation | |
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| Seasons (56) | |
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Championship seasons in bold |
