However, the Chiefs suffered a devastating loss in the divisional round of the 1995–96 AFC playoffs when placekicker Lin Elliott missed three crucial field goals, allowing the Indianapolis Colts to win 10–7.
In Week Two, the Chiefs battled back from a two-touchdown deficit to defeat the New York Giants in overtime, 20–17 on September 10.
On the Chiefs' following possession, Bono completed to Danan Hughes with the game-tying score after a 67-yard, 14-play drive that took just 2 minutes and 32 seconds.
Lin Elliott booted the game-winning field goal with 7:11 remaining in overtime to give the Chiefs the win.
On September 17, James Hasty picked off a Jeff Hostetler pass and returned it for a touchdown in overtime as the Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders, 23–17 to go 3–0.
On October 1, Quarterback Steve Bono ran for a 76-yard bootleg touchdown, accumulating more than 20% of his total career rushing yards in 1 play.
On October 9, Tamarick Vanover returned a punt 86 yards in overtime to give the Chiefs a 29–23 victory over the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football.
On November 19, the Chiefs won their seventh game in a row, beating the Houston Oilers 20–13 at Arrowhead Stadium, to go 10–1.
On December 24, Tamarick Vanover ran the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown, and the Chiefs defeated the Seahawks, 26–3.
Against the Colts, the heavily favored Chiefs appeared to be in the driver's seat of their own destiny after jumping out to an early 7–0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a Lake Dawson touchdown catch from Steve Bono.
The aforementioned Colts defense, which had swarmed the Kansas City offense, forced head coach Marty Schottenheimer to make a change at quarterback late in the game, substituting Bono out for Rich Gannon in the fourth quarter after Bono's third interception of the game.
However, after Dawson dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass on the Chiefs' final drive, Schottenheimer opted for Lin Elliott to kick the game-tying field goal.