The Chiefs Finally Put An End To Football's Silliest Streak

I can appreciate a good sports streak as much as anyone, but the dumb ones are always more fun than the actually impressive ones. Which is why last night’s Chiefs-Packers game was, despite Aaron Rodgers’s continued brilliance, kind of a bummer. The Chiefs, for the first time in 18 regular-season games, threw a touchdown to a wide receiver.

Late in the third quarter, Alex Smith found Jeremy Maclin on a slant into the endzone. Pop the champagne!

That’s the first touchdown caught by a Chiefs receiver in a regular-season game since Dexter McCluster—who barely qualifies as a receiver in the first place—hauled one in from Chase Daniel(!) on the last day of the 2013 season. Both Dwayne Bowe and Donnie Avery caught touchdown passes in the team’s 2014 Wild Card game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Smith, who coming into last night’s game had thrown 570 regular-season passes without finding a receiver in the endzone, wasn’t exactly in the mood to give a big speech about his accomplishment after the game:

“The one positive,” Smith said. “We don’t have to deal with the receiver talk anymore.”

Unfortunately for those of us who want maximum weirdness in sports, the Chiefs probably aren’t going to get another streak like this started anytime soon. Maclin was signed in the offseason to add some much needed juice to the receiving corps, and he broke out last night with eight receptions and 141 yards to go along with his streak-breaking score.

Long live the anti-receiver Chiefs. May they be welcomed in the halls of Valhalla, or whatever.

Photo via Getty