Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs Outperform Broncos in Grades Despite Christmas Defeat

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Dec 29, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 17 loss to the AFC West division champions, the Denver Broncos, was to be expected with the roster the Chiefs currently have. However, Kansas City played a close game and made Chiefs Kingdom hold more optimism for what's to come in 2026.

Despite losing 20-13, the Chiefs played a playoff-caliber team to its limits, which is represented in these postgame grades. According to CBS Sports' John Breech, the Chiefs earned a C+ for their efforts on Christmas, whereas the Broncos earned a C.

The Review

The Chiefs : C+

"The Chiefs didn't win, but they gave the Broncos all they could handle in a game that was expected to be a blowout. The defense came up with a monster effort during the first half, where the Chiefs held the Broncos out of the end zone," Breech wrote.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

"Chris Oladokun, who was making his first career NFL start, looked solid at times, but he eventually got overwhelmed by a Broncos defense that held the Chiefs to just 60 yards in the second half. If this was Travis Kelce's final home game, the Chiefs definitely went down swinging."

The Broncos : C

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

"Nothing is ever easy for the Broncos and that includes this win over the Chiefs. The offense sputtered through the first half without scoring a touchdown, but then Bo Nix caught fire in the second half, going 13 of 16 for 115 yards and two total touchdowns (1 pass, 1 rush) to propel Denver to the win," Breech wrote.

"The Broncos had the ball for nearly 40 minutes, but they just couldn't put the Chiefs away. Maybe it was because this game was on a Thursday, maybe it was because they overlooked their opponent, but whatever the reason, this was an ugly win by a Broncos team that actually seems to thrive on winning ugly."

Week 18 Preview

While the Chiefs do hold a nice spot in the 2026 NFL Draft selection process, they take on the Las Vegas Raiders, who haven't won a game since Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans. Las Vegas enters Week 18 coming off a 34-10 loss to the New York Giants.

Kansas City is likely to win this game, regardless of being without Patrick Mahomes, but a loss wouldn't hurt its draft position. What would hurt is the credibility, given that the Chiefs shut out the Raiders earlier this season.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: