That 1-5 start in 2015

[Anc360]

The start to the 2015 season was pretty much the opposite of this year's fast start. Since that 1-5 start in 2015, the Chiefs have gone 28-6 (including playoffs). And while the start of the 2015 season was undeniably the low point of Reid's tenure, I don't think that the fluky nature of that stretch is talked about enough. 

During that 1-5 start the Chiefs played 4 away games and only 2 home games, and due to the London game the Chiefs actually played 7 of their first 10 games away from Arrowhead that year. During those first six games, the Chiefs played 5 playoff teams (including the SB winning Broncos), and 3 of those teams started the year 5-0 or better. They lost 3 of their first six games by one TD or less. 

The Chiefs almost certainly lost to the Bears that year because Jamaal Charles got injured in the 3rd quarter and they couldn't run the ball for the rest of the game. On the opening drive of the third quarter in that game the Chiefs endured an almost comical level of bad luck. Facing a first and ten in the Bears red zone, the Chiefs had a string of three plays in which: 1) Jamaal Charles suffered what was essentially a career ending ACL tear, 2) Travis Kelce dropped a TD, and 3) the ensuing FG was blocked. The Chiefs didn't score again in that game and lost by 1 point. 

On top of everything the Chiefs were coming off of a slew of injuries to start 2015. Derrick Johnson was playing his first games after a 2014 Achilles injury. Dontari Poe was returning from offseason back surgery that pretty much ruined his career. Eric Berry was returning from an offseason of chemotherapy, and Sean Smith was suspended for the first 2 games of that season. 

Sorry for the random post, but I think it's fun to look back and reminisce about how that historically rough stretch precipitated the Chief's current success.