For the 1965 season, the Chiefs were caught in the middle of the AFL and NFL's bidding wars for college talent.
[2] The Chiefs lost running back Mack Lee Hill late in the year when he suffered torn ligaments in his right knee in the next-to-last regular-season game at Buffalo on December 12.
Following what was expected to be a routine surgery two days later at Menorah Hospital in Kansas City, Hill died from what was termed "a sudden and massive embolism.
Five days after Hill's unexpected death, the mourning Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos to finish with a 7–5–2 record.
[5] Source: Pro Football Reference[6] Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings in the AFL.