Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches his team against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

What the Chiefs Need in Week 18

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 10:00 AM ET

Though the Kansas City Chiefs may not have been able to close out 2025 with a win, they went down swinging. In Chris Oladokun's first NFL career start, he almost had an upset win against the number one seed in the AFC.

The Denver Broncos almost had a monumental collapse on Christmas Day, but they escaped Arrowhead Stadium with a win. The Chiefs' final game of this disastrous season is against another divisional rival, the Las Vegas Raiders. How can their team rally to head into next season with a win?

Week 17 Takeaways

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

ESPN released an article going over their biggest takeaways from every game that took place in Week 17. For the Chiefs' loss against the Broncos, their biggest takeaway was how good their defense played despite being down multiple starters.

"Without their top two cornerbacks, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, the Chiefs' defense did more than hold its own against Denver's offense. Kristian Fulton and rookie Nohl Williams performed well in fill-in roles despite the Broncos trying over and over to get receiver Courtland Sutton in one-on-one opportunities. Fulton finished with three pass breakups, one of which led to an interception by linebacker Nick Bolton. Williams had eight tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage".

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The good thing for the Chiefs is that with the number of players on the IR, it forces them to utilize their younger players more. My biggest complaint about Andy Reid down the stretch of this season was his reluctance to give their rookies a chance.

He continued to use veteran players, and they still lost in spite of that. Not only do their younger players give them a better chance to win, but it also gives them that much more confidence heading into next season. They have one game left to maximize this low-stakes season before they play for a team that's expected to compete for another Super Bowl next year.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Thankfully for them, the Raiders aren't a very good football team, and their starting quarterback won't be suiting up. Say what you will about Geno Smith, but he's shown that he's better than Kenny Pickett. In Pickett's lone start this season, he threw for 64 yards and an interception.

He had a similar stat line to Oladokun against the Broncos, but the Raiders don't have the same defense as they do. If the Chiefs' defense continues to play hard and not give up on plays, they're sure to shut down this anemic Raiders offense and finish off the 2025 regular season with a win.

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

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