Ranking the Kansas City Chiefs playoff losses by how much they sucked

UPDATE: This post is a couple years old but with the Chiefs loss to the Titans I wanted to bring it back up. Where would the Titans loss fit in here?

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The Kansas City Chiefs have lost eight consecutive playoff games. For a Kansas City Chiefs fan, it has been a painful, painful stretch. The regular seasons have been pretty damn nice on more than a few occasions. The playoffs? Man. Chiefs fans can't catch a break. You all know the pain associated with each game whether it be a dang kicker, "He was in bounds!" or the no-punt game.

It really is that bad, too. Eight straight playoff losses is an NFL record.

What we saw on Saturday with the Chiefs 45-44 loss to the Colts was among the most painful losses a Chiefs fan has ever experienced. It's tough to accurately determine just how much that one sucked because we have the benefit of historical context with the other games, such as the playoff losses to the Colts in 1995, 2003 and 2006.

I have done my best to rank just how much each Chiefs playoff loss in their current streak has sucked. Yep, the official suck rankings.

These sucked, but the Chiefs didn't have a shot

8. 1994 Wild Card round vs. Dolphins, 27-17

7. 2006 Wild Card round vs. Colts, 23-8

6. 2010 Wild Card round vs. Ravens, 30-7

These really sucked, but I'm not losing sleep over them

5. 2003 Divisional round vs. Colts, 38-31

4. 1993 AFC Championship game vs. Bills, 30-13

In 2003, the Chiefs had the league's best offense so they certainly had a shot. But we knew the defense was a major question mark entering the game. It was a big topic of conversation and people predicted the Chiefs defense would cost them. And it did. Still, no punts in that game.

People seem to forget about the 1993 AFC Championship game in terms of painfulness. They were one freakin' game away. Little did I know, a 9-year old, that the Chiefs wouldn't be back in that game for 20-plus years (and counting).

YOU KNOW SOMETHIN' YOU SUCK

3. 1997 Divisional round vs. Broncos, 14-10

2. 1995 Divisional round vs. Colts, 10-7

1. 2013 Wild Card round vs. Colts, 45-44

All of these games hurt. A lot. I mean we're really digging deep into the soul of a Chiefs fan here. In the 1997 game, I was finishing up an 8th grade science fair project. In the 1995 game, I was watching it with Chris and Old Man Thorman in my parents living room. In 2013, I was watching it alone at home (the way I prefer it, honestly).

The 1997 and 1995 Divisional round games were sickening. From the Kicker Who Shall Not Be Named to Tony Gonzalez being IN bounds to John freakin' Elway and Shannon Sharpe, those games really get to me. Plus, the Chiefs were 13-3 in both seasons and had a first round bye. For that reason, you could argue those were the worst.

In 1995 and 1997, I was just a kid. I knew it hurt and it hurt bad but I didn't really know the history behind it, or what was to come. What went down on Saturday ... that really took something out of me. I mean, every Chiefs fan in the building thought to themselves at some point in the first half, Wouldn't it be the most Chiefs playoff loss ever if they lost this thing?

I am ready to call Saturday's game the worst Chiefs playoff loss ever. Blowing a 28-point lead, the second biggest playoff choke of all-time, that seals it for me. I reserve the right to change my mind as the years go on but this one is going to stick.

Some might ask why not the 1995 Colts game? That was arguably a better team with a better shot at winning it all. For me, this one is worse because the Chiefs got such a huge lead and then blew it. We spent the entire first half thinking the Chiefs were going to win in a blowout. Then we spent the entire second half biting our nails as the Colts came back. That contrast between the good times and the bad, in just one half of football, makes this game worse for me.