After a 2015 season that provided Kansas City Chiefs fans the kind of emotional rollercoaster that only the NFL could provide, Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt reflected on a special season that saw franchise records broken and streaks set.

"It was a very exciting year for the Chiefs," Hunt said. "I would describe the season in some ways as dramatic. Starting off with the disappointment of losing five of the first six games, and then the thrill of the turnaround and winning 10 regular-season games in a row, and eventually going down to Houston and beating the Texans in that Wild Card playoff game."

It was the franchise's first playoff win in more than 22 years, a streak that spanned eight consecutive playoff attempts.

The win was a long time coming and was the culmination of a season that showed what this team and organization is all about.

32 of the 53 players on the roster weren't yet in kindergarten the last time the Chiefs had won a playoff game, but this group had a level of maturity and self-confidence that didn't carry the weight of a playoff victory drought that spanned more than two decades.

That weight didn't hold this team down even after a rough start to a season that began with such high expectations, the combination of which might have crushed other teams that didn't have the mental fortitude or leadership to stay the course.

This team had that leadership.

One of the toughest parts of the season and where their display of maturity truly began to show itself was against the Chicago Bears back in Week 5, when the franchise's all-time leading rusher, Jamaal Charles, was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

To make matters worse, the game was lost on a Jay Cutler touchdown pass to the corner of the end zone to running back Matt Forte with just 18 seconds remaining in the game.

The day was pretty devastating on multiple levels, but this team didn't let Charles' injury, or a slew of others that would come throughout the season, get in the way of what they had initially set out to accomplish.

"It seems like a long time ago, but I know it was we were all so disappointed with Jamaal's injury," Hunt recalled. "I think a lot of Chiefs fans at that point thought the season was over, but (general manager) John Dorsey has done a tremendous job in building depth on the team. And ultimately, a couple of his young running backs stepped in and did a great job of filling in.

"That was a common theme throughout the season.

"We had a number of very impactful injuries throughout the season and there was always a young player who was ready to step up and fill in and do a great job. I think, realistically, if you want to compete to be in the Super Bowl, you have to have that depth."

Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware stepped in to lead the Chiefs in the backfield in Charles' absence, the offensive line saw nine different starting combinations over the course of the season and defensive back Ron Parker continued to show his value as he moved around the backfield again this season after the injury to nickelback Phillip Gaines.

These are just a few of the instances in which players stepped up and took on the responsibility when one of their teammates was injured, and Hunt was proud of the way his team responded.

"It says a whole lot about their character and their ability to persevere," Hunt noted of the winning streak after the rough start. "Their ability to stick together as a family and as a team was special. Most teams in that situation would have folded. I think statistically we had about a 4 percent chance at that point of making the playoffs, and we became only the second team to recover from such a significant deficit in the last 40 or 50 years.

"And really, that's just a credit to the tremendous leadership of the coaches and the players."

Moving forward, Hunt said that the 2015 season and the winning streak they put together after a tough start should only serve as a basis for confidence of what this group can accomplish heading into 2016.

"I think we come out of the season with a lot of confidence and a lot of momentum," he noted. "I think we have the key to legitimately compete to be in the Super Bowl, and I think all of our players and coaches are eager to get the season underway."

Don't worry Chiefs Kingdom, we're only about 160 days or so away from the start of training camp.