From the dynasty of the Kansas City Chiefs to the decades-long struggles revolving around the Las Vegas Raiders, there have been a wide range of outcomes in the AFC West in the past 30 years.
AFC East, AFC North, AFC South heartbreakers
After exploring heartbreakers throughout the rest of the AFC, perhaps the lead-up to Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season is the most fitting time to explore gut-wrenching losses for AFC West teams in wake of Patrick Mahomes’ season-ending injury.
While Chiefs fans come to terms with the devastating injury and the first season without a playoff appearance since 2014, all AFC West fans are ultimately quite familiar with heartbreak, with Kansas City fans in long-suffering before the Mahoms/Kelce/Reid-led dynasty.
The division is responsible for six Super Bowl titles in the past 30 seasons, with three won by the Chiefs while the other three were captured by the Denver Broncos. It’s been more obvious pain for the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, who have combined for just one Super Bowl appearance in the same timeframe.
While Broncos and Chargers fans alike hold high hopes as the 2025 NFL postseason awaits, they enter the postseason with a notable history of tough playoff losses, with some old wounds likely to be revisited by fans of at least a few teams across the league come January.
With the playoffs almost here, here’s a look back at the toughest losses of the past three decades for the four AFC West clubs:
Denver Broncos: 2012 AFC Divisional Round (38-35 loss to Baltimore Ravens in 2OT)
Honorable mentions: Super Bowl XLVIII, 2005 AFC Championship Game, 1996 AFC Divisional Round
While Peyton Manning would eventually take home a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos in his farewell season in 2015, his first season in the Rocky Mountains was stopped short by a heroic performance from Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens.
Hosting the Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round after securing a first-round bye, the two teams traded blows early, with Denver striking first on a 90-yard punt return touchdown from Trindon Holliday. Both Manning and Flacco recorded a TD pass in the first quarter, while a 39-yard pick-six from Ravens’ DE Corey Graham left the score knotted at 14 apiece after the first frame.
Both teams added another touchdown in the second quarter, with Peyton Manning finding Knowshon Moreno for a 14-yard touchdown and Joe Flacco converting on a 32-yard pass to locate Torrey Smith in the end zone just before halftime, leaving the score at 21-21.
Trindon Holliday opened the second half with another thunderous moment, returning the kickoff 104 yards for a go-ahead touchdown and his second return score of the game. At the opposite end of the quarter, Ray Rice pounded his way into the end zone with just 20 second left in the frame to once again leave the score tied heading into the fourth quarter.
While Denver took the lead around halfway through the quarter thanks to a Manning connection with the late Demaryius Thomas, it would not prove to be the game-winning score.
Needing a touchdown to tie the game while starting a drive at their own 23-yard line with just 1:09 left in the game, Flacco connected with Jacoby Jones on a home run pass that went 70 yards for the game-tying touchdown with just 41 seconds remaining in a play now known as “The Mile High Miracle.”
Both teams struggled to find their footing offensively in overtime, punctuated by a critical interception thrown by Manning at his own 38-yard line with just over a minute left in the first overtime.
In one of just two NFL playoff games to head to a second overtime since the turn of the century, the Ravens took advantage of the turnover, setting up Justin Tucker for a game-winning 47-yard field goal shortly after the start of the second overtime to secure a 38-35 win for the Ravens.
Baltimore went on to topple the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game before outlasting the San Francisco 49ers to win their second Super Bowl title.
Kansas City Chiefs: 2013 AFC Wild Card Game (45-44 loss to Indianapolis Colts)
Honorable mentions: 2003 AFC Divisional Round, 2018 AFC Championship Game, 1997 AFC Divisional Round
While Sunday’s loss that saw franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes tear his ACL while the Chiefs were officially eliminated from playoff contention certainly broke hearts in Kansas City, it’s been quite some time since that kind of pain descended upon fans at Arrowhead Stadium.
To find the last soul-crushing heartbreaker, one would have to rewind to the 2013 AFC Wild Card Game, Andy Reid’s first year at the helm in Kansas City as Alex Smith and the Chiefs took on Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Searching for their first playoff victory since the days of Joe Montana as quarterback, the Chiefs got off to a tremendous start in this contest, striking first and holding a 10-7 lead after one quarter before exploding in the second quarter.
By halftime, Smith had already thrown three touchdown passes as Kansas City jumped out to a commanding 31-10 lead, appearing to be well on their way to a playoff win for the first time since Jan. 16, 1994 – a few weeks before Green Day released Dookie.
The win looked to be even more of a certainty after Smith threw his fourth touchdown of the game early in the second half, giving the Chiefs a 38-10 lead with 13:39 remaining in the third quarter. From there, the Colts got in business.
Luck and the Colts worked quick on the ensuing drive, which ended with a 10-yard Donald Brown touchdown run with less than two minutes coming off the clock, bringing the Colts back within 21. Indianapolis went on to force an Alex Smith fumble on the following Chiefs’ drive, recovering the ball at the Kansas City 41-yard line that kicked off yet another touchdown drive.
All of a sudden, the Colts were back within two touchdowns with 7:36 still remaining in the third quarter, making the prospects of a stunning comeback suddenly feel attainable.
After forcing a Kansas City punt, the comeback hopes took a step back after Andrew Luck was intercepted on his first pass of the following drive, which set up a Kansas City field goal to give the Chiefs a 41-24 lead, putting the advantage back to three scores.
Luck and the Colts responded by taking less than two minutes to drive up the field for yet another touchdown, cutting the deficit to 10 as the game approached the fourth quarter. The Colts forced yet another Kansas City punt on the next drive, getting the ball back early in the fourth quarter and eventually converting on what would be a 90-yard touchdown drive, cutting the Chiefs’ lead to just three points.
Though the Chiefs answered back with a five-minute field goal drive that brought their lead back up to six, the Colts were given the ball back with 5:40 left on the clock and a chance to win the game.
This opportunity was seized perhaps quicker than imagined, with Luck finding T.Y. Hilton for a 64-yard touchdown pass to tie the game and officially erase what was a 28-point deficit. An extra point kick from Adam Vinatieri would prove to be the game-winner, as the Colts defense converted on a stop to secure the 45-44 victory.
The Chiefs would break their postseason victory drought two seasons later, shutting out the Houston Texans in the 2015 AFC Divisional Round, while the Colts were stymied by the New England Patriots the following week in the Divisional Round.
Las Vegas Raiders: 2001 AFC Divisional Round/The Tuck Rule Game (16-13 loss to New England Patriots)
Honorable mentions: 2000 AFC Championship Game, Super Bowl XXXVII
Though the Raiders somewhat avenged this loss by making it to the Super Bowl the following season (where they were promptly blown out), many fans surely feel their best chance came the year before, when it looked like they had just completed a stunning road win against the New England Patriots.
The final game played at the old Foxboro Stadium, both teams were battling blizzard-like conditions in what turned out to be a classic defensive duel.
The Raiders scored the only points of the first half on a 13-yard touchdown catch from James Jett via quarterback Rich Gannon, giving Oakland a 7-0 advantage at the break. The trend of fruitless drives continued in the third quarter, with the Raiders adding two field goals to the Patriots’ one, with Oakland now up 13-3 heading into the final frame.
This is when a standard snow game turns into an infamous contest all sports fans remember – as well as a moment that inarguably had a significant impact on the league’s future.
An incredible drive from rookie quarterback Tom Brady early on in the fourth quarter brought New England back within three points, with the 24-year-old completing all nine of his pass attempts before converting on a six-yard touchdown run, finishing a 67-yard touchdown drive.
After exchanging punts, the Patriots utilized all three of their timeouts on the following Oakland drive, eventually forcing a punt with 2:19 left in the game and New England trailing by three.
With 1:50 left in the game and the Patriots running a 1st and 10 play from the Oakland 42-yard line, Brady appeared to fumble the ball before attempting a pass, with Oakland recovering possession and seemingly securing a victory.
Though initially ruled a fumble, a replay review determined the play was an incomplete pass, even though Brady had seemingly halted his throwing motion and appeared to tuck the ball back in towards his body. The rule, which was in effect from 1999 to 2013, states that any intentional forward movement of the arm begins a forward pass, even if the player loses possession while attempting to tuck the ball back inwards.
The reversal took what was a game-winning fumble recovery away from Charles Woodson, with the Patriots going on to gain another 14 yards to set up Adam Vinatieri for a game-tying 45-yard field goal.
New England went on to win the overtime coin toss, driving down to the Oakland 5-yard line before setting up Vinatieri once again to seal the victory.
Had the play not been overturned, Brady’s fairy tale of a rookie season at quarterback would have been halted in his playoff debut – which may very well have led the Patriots to simply handing the ball back to Drew Bledsoe at the start of the 2002 season. Instead, Brady went on to win his first of seven Super Bowls in 2001, later cementing his status as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
Los Angeles Chargers: 2006 AFC Divisional Round (24-21 loss to New England Patriots)
Honorable mentions: 2009 AFC Divisional Round, 2022 AFC Wild Card Game, 2007 AFC Championship Game
While the Chargers most recent Super Bowl appearance came in a loss in the 1994 season, the Bolts have still had plenty of heartbreak and close calls in the past 30 years – perhaps none more devastating than their loss in the 2006 AFC Divisional Round.
Armed with a 14-2 record and the NFL MVP in LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers appeared to be a Super Bowl favorite in 2006, sporting the league’s most potent offense and seventh-best defense.
Facing Tom Brady and the Patriots, the Chargers were held scoreless in the first quarter before tacking on two touchdowns in the following frame – a two-yard run from Tomlinson and a six-yard run from Michael Turner.
The momentum from what would have been a 14-3 halftime lead was greatly dampered after Brady found Jabar Gaffney in the end zone with just eight seconds remaining in the half, cutting the Chargers’ advantage to 14-10.
In a defensively-tight third quarter, only the Patriots could make their way onto the scoreboard, with a 34-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski serving as the frame’s only points while cutting the Chargers’ lead to a single point.
Alhough Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was intercepted on the final play of the third quarter, the San Diego defense held serve on the ensuing Patriots possession to force a punt and maintain a one-point lead.
San Diego took advantage on their next drive, with Rivers and Tomlinson leading the way on an impressive 83-yard drive that ended in a 3-yard touchdown run for Tomlinson. Conservatively, Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer opted to kick for the extra point while up seven, while a successful two-point conversion would have given San Diego a two score lead.
On the following Patriots drive, New England would be given a tremendous gift after Marlon McCree intercepted Brady with 6:25 remaining in the game. However, while attempting to return the interception, McCree fumbled the ball and lost possession, with Reche Caldwell recovering the ball for New England at the San Diego 32-yard line, ultimately resulting in a nine-yard gain for the Patriots.
Brady completed four of five passes to finish the drive with a touchdown, with the Patriots converting on the two-point attempt via a direct snap to running back Kevin Faulk to tie the game.
The Chargers failed to secure a first down on their next drive, with the Patriots getting the ball back at their own 15-yard line with 3:30 to go in a tie game. Thanks primarily to a 49-yard home run pass complete to Reche Caldwell, New England set up Gostkowski for a successful 31-yard field goal kick while leaving 1:14 left on the clock.
With their season on the line and a drive starting at their own 25-yard line with just 1:05 remaining, Rivers was 3-3 for 39 passing yards on a feverish drive that gave San Diego kicker Nate Kaeding an opportunity to send the game into overtime.
After Rivers spiked the ball at the New England 36-yard line, Kaeding, who had converted his lone attempt from over 50 yards in the regular season, missed his 54-yard attempt wide right, securing a New England victory.
Though the Patriots would lose to the Indianapolis Colts the next week in a heartbreaker of their own, the defeat stands out as exceptionally painful for a Chargers franchise that hasn’t had a regular season quite as good since this one.
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