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Chiefs, Vikings are first pair of non-playoff teams since 2013 to start 4-0

The 2026 NFL season has already delivered a rare statistical twist, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings emerging as the league’s only two 4-0 teams that missed the playoffs last year. According to league research, this marks the first time since 2013 that multiple non-playoff teams from the prior season have started with flawless records.

The Chiefs, who went 6-11 in 2025 after three straight Super Bowl appearances, now aim to reclaim their dominance, while the Vikings—who finished 9-8 with five straight wins—are chasing history. Minnesota holds the NFL’s longest active winning streak at nine games, and a victory on Sunday would tie their franchise’s second-longest streak of 10 consecutive wins, last achieved in 1975 when they started 10-0.

The 1969 Vikings, meanwhile, won all 12 of their middle games after dropping their first and last contests of the season, a quirk of their undefeated stretch that contrasts with their current momentum.

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