KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the 10th season under coach Andy Reid begins, the Kansas City Chiefs will try to extend an unprecedented winning streak in season-openers Sunday at Arizona.
Kansas City has won its first game in each of the last seven seasons, a franchise record, breaking the streak of six in a row from 1991-96.
Before that, the Chiefs won five consecutive season-openers from 1983-87.
Kansas City’s seven-game hot streak in openers is the longest active streak in the NFL and the sixth-longest in history.
Dallas owns the record having won 16 consecutive season-openers from 1966-81.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has never thrown an interception in four season-opening starts, has been key to Kansas City’s recent success, but it started under Alex Smith.
Reid is 15-8 during his career in season openers, including a 9-3 record in road games.
He lost four of the first five season-openers he coached in Philadelphia, so Reid’s teams have won 14 of the last 18 openers, including an 8-1 record since joining the Chiefs in 2013.
While you might be impressed, Reid wasn't when asked Wednesday about the streak.
"I wish we wouldn’t have had the one in there," he said to laughter. "That’s the deal. I don’t know ... but I don’t care about that right now. If we can just go execute, do the best we can for this time of the year, I’ll be happy it.”
Kansas City had lost six of its previous seven openers and stood 27-26 all-time in season-openers prior to Reid’s arrival.
On average, the Chiefs have scored nearly 32 points and allowed fewer than 23 points in openers on Reid’s watch.
Kansas City has never lost a road season-opener under Reid, going 5-0 with wins at Jacksonville in 2013 and 2019 along with victories at Houston (2015), New England (2017) and the Los Angeles Chargers (2018).
The Chiefs’ only season-opening loss since Reid’s arrival came against Tennessee in 2014 at home. Tight end Travis Kelce is the only player who remains on the roster from that season.
Chiefs season-openers under Andy Reid
2013 at Jacksonville, W 28-2
2014 vs. Tennessee, L 26-10
2015 at Houston, W, 27-20
2016 vs. San Diego, W 33-27 (OT)
2017 at New England, W 42-27
2018 at Los Angeles Chargers, W 38-28
2019 at Jacksonville, W 40-26
2020 vs. Houston, W 34-20
2021 vs. Cleveland, W 33-29
Patrick Mahomes in season-openers
2018 — 15/27 (55.6%) for 256 yards with 4 TD/0 INT
2019 — 25/33 (75.8%) for 378 yards with 3 TD/0 INT
2020 — 24/32 (75.0%) for 211 yards with 3 TD/0 INT
2021 — 27/36 (75.0%) for 337 yards with 3 TD/0 INT (1 rushing TD)
Total — 91/128 (71.1%) for 1,182 yards (295.5 avg.) with 13 TD/0 INT (14 total TD)
Longest win streak in season-openers, NFL history
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