Since becoming the full-time starter for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has led the team to a 16-2 record in games played under a roof.
Over the years, there have been many millions of exasperated parents who have implored their children to "Go outside and play!" as the little rascals raced around the house, threatening the imminent destruction of myriad plates, pictures and family heirlooms.
However, for Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and head coach Andy Reid, the directive to their players might be "Go inside and play!"
The reason for that seemingly contradictory demand is blatantly obvious: since quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the team's full-time in 2018, the Chiefs have rolled up a "ridiculous" 16-2 record and .889 winning percentage in games played indoors, according to Leigh Oleszczak, a writer for Arrowhead Addict.
"Mahomes has been nearly unbeatable when playing indoors," the writer added. "He's 16-2 when playing indoors, while tossing 43 touchdowns to just six interceptions and averaging 316 yards per game."
The Mahomes-led indoor dominance gets even nuttier when you take in the fact that the Chiefs won the first 15 indoor games that Mahomes started, beginning with a 34-30 defeat of the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in September 2019. Following that were 14 straight indoor wins at such far-flung locales as Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
Of course, the two most famous of Kansas City's indoor wins came on Feb. 12, 2023, when the Chiefs recorded a 38-35 defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, AZ, and on Feb. 11, 2024, when they posted a 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.
On the other hand, Mahomes' first loss indoors also came in the NFL season's biggest game, a 40-22 setback to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome.
The Chiefs' only other indoor loss in the Mahomes era came on Jan. 4, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in the form of a 14-12 defeat handed out by the Las Vegas Raiders. It was Kansas City's sixth straight loss to end the 2025 season and the final indignity in an uncharacteristic 6-11 campaign.
That result carries added significance because it just so happens that the Chiefs travel to Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium on Sunday (3:25 p.m. CT on CBS) to face the Raiders. The contest will have a historic tinge to it as it will be the first time that the Chiefs and Raiders meet with both teams sporting unblemished 3-0 records. That encompasses a history that stretches back to 1960 and the 134 total games that the two bitter rivals have contested.
"We've got a (expletive) great team coming into town," Raiders' defensive end Maxx Crosby said to his teammates about the matchup, as reported by Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict. "We already know what it is, bro. It's the (expletive) Kansas City Chiefs.... Take care of your bodies, and we're on a warpath to get what we want."
The sentiment was similar, if not quite as colorfully verbalized, from Reid, as noted by Vahe Gregorian on X: "The better the two teams are, the better the rivalry," Reid said. "This is what it's all about."
