Tony Richardson on how Chiefs can avoid another playoff failure

The Chiefs have a 9-1 record, a high-flying offense and currently hold the top seed in the AFC playoff race.

Everything is setting up nicely for a long playoff run, right? Chiefs fans know better than to say yes to that question, given the franchise’s terrible postseason history.

But could this season be different? Can the Chiefs win a home playoff game for the first time since the 1993 season?

Former Chiefs fullback Tony Richardson believes the answer is yes.

Richardson knows the Chiefs’ playoff failures all too well. He was on a pair of teams that started the season with a 9-1 record, only to lose their first playoff game:

The 1995 Chiefs started with a 10-1 record, finished 13-3 … and lost a postseason contest to the Colts 10-7 in the infamous “Lin Elliott Game.”

The 2003 Chiefs won 11 of their first 12 games and finished 13-3. However, they lost a divisional-round playoff game to the Colts 38-31 in the infamous “No-Punt Game.”

But Richardson joined the “Good Morning Football” group on the NFL Network this week, and was asked if this season’s Chiefs team could avoid the playoff miseries of years past.

“I’m obviously a huge football fan, I love video games. This is like watching Madden. How is everyone open?” Richardson said. “The only thing that kind of scares me about this Chiefs team is the defense …

“Once they shore that defense up, I’m not sure who can beat this team. And the great thing about it is if they get home-field advantage and everyone has to go through Arrowhead, you’re gonna be able to hear the crowd from here.”

Richardson also was asked about why the Chiefs lost in the playoffs while he was in Kansas City. He blamed it on the bye week each team had.

You can watch the conversation here: