ClutchPoints
There was a time when Christmas at Arrowhead meant inevitability. It meant touchdowns, noise, and a Kansas City Chiefs team that always found a way. On Christmas night in 2025, it meant something very different. With playoff hopes already extinguished, the Chiefs trudged through a sobering loss to the Denver Broncos. It felt less like a rivalry clash and more like a postscript to a season gone wrong. This was a stark reminder of how far Kansas City had fallen. It also showed once again how thin the margins become when talent, health, and execution all evaporate at once.
The Chiefs closed out their 2025 home slate with a 20-13 loss to the AFC West-leading Broncos on Christmas night. KC fell to 6-10 in front of a subdued Arrowhead crowd. Already eliminated from playoff contention, the Chiefs were forced to start third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun due to injuries to Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew. That turned the contest into a grind-it-out defensive struggle. Kansas City briefly held momentum, but Denver seized control late. That was after Bo Nix connected with RJ Harvey on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to take the lead for good with under two minutes remaining. The Chiefs’ final drive stalled at the Broncos’ 28-yard line, sealing the loss. Travis Kelce, who may have played his final home game in red and gold, led the team with five catches for 36 yards. For the Chiefs, this game was defined by missed chances and offensive limitations.
Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the Kansas City Chiefs most to blame for their week 17 loss to the Broncos.
No one expected Chris Oladokun to look like a savior. However, what Kansas City got was an offense that barely functioned through the air.
Oladokun completed 13 of 22 passes for just 66 yards. That jumps off the stat sheet in all the wrong ways. Sure, he avoided interceptions and took only one sack. Still, the lack of downfield threat suffocated the entire offense. Defenses didn’t need to disguise coverages or fear explosive plays. Denver simply crowded the line of scrimmage and dared Kansas City to beat them vertically. Oladokun just could not do that.
To his credit, he delivered his first NFL touchdown pass on a five-yard throw to Brashard Smith. He also managed the game without catastrophic errors. That said, the position demands more than caution. When your team generates only 139 total yards and possesses the ball for barely 20 minutes, the quarterback is unavoidably part of the problem.
This wasn’t about blame as much as reality. Oladokun was thrust into an impossible situation. The limitations he faced were evident from the opening drive.
In a game where every inch mattered, Xavier Worthy repeatedly came up empty. Early on, Worthy appeared to have a significant gain lined up, only to step out of bounds and erase the play. That moment perfectly encapsulated the Chiefs’ offensive...
