The Kansas City Chiefs have established themselves as the latest dynasty to emerge in the NFL. The first shades of their dynastic rise were apparent as early as 2016. Andy Reid was going into his 4th season as the head coach, while Travis Kelce stood out as the team’s leading receiver, setting the stage for what would become one of the greatest careers by a Tight End in the league’s history.
With Steve Smith under center, the Kansas City Chiefs went 11-4, with an additional win by Nick Foles bringing them to 12-4. More importantly, they swept the AFC West Division, going 6-0 against the Chargers, Raiders, and Broncos. It was the first of nine consecutive Division titles (including this season), just two behind the New England Patriots’ 11-season run from 2009 to 2019.
Highlights
It’s Really About the Super Bowls
As impressive as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Division Title run has been, on most NFL fans’ minds is the potential for a Super Bowl 3-peat… which has never happened in NFL history. Several teams have achieved back-to-back Super Bowl victories over the years, but none of them have captured that elusive 3rd consecutive win. The Kansas City Chiefs are the only team in history to even have a chance to pull it off at this point in the season.
Four teams since the Super Bowl began (originally known as the NFL-AFL Championship Game back in 1966) have appeared in 3-consecutive Super Bowls. Besides the Kanas City Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins (from ’71 to ’73), Buffalo Bills (’90 to ’93), and New England Patriots (2016 to ’18) have all been there 3 times in a row.
🏈Whereas the Bills are the only team in history to actually appear in 4-consecutive Super Bowls, they famously lost all 4.
🏈Miami lost their 1st of three Super Bowls in 1971 in a 24-3 routing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
🏈The New England Patriots, known as the Brady-Belichick dynasty, lost the middle game of their 3-consecutive Super Bowls.
With the back-to-back wins already secured, and the Conference Championship in the rearview mirror… the Kanas City Chiefs have come to this historic moment… where they have a chance at capturing a 3-peat.
But There’s More
The evolution of the Kansas City Chiefs into a dynasty includes a couple of names I already mentioned… Andy Reid and Travis Kelce. However, arguably the most substantial piece of this championship machine is Super Star Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After playing behind Alex Smith during his rookie season, Mahomes stepped into the starting role in 2017, leading his team to 7 of those 9-consecutive Division Titles. Together, these three pillars of the franchise have paved the way for the Kanas City Chiefs to have an unmatched five Super Bowl appearances within six seasons.
Even the Steelers dynasty of the 70s didn’t appear in that many within six years. While they won all four Super Bowls they played in, it took six years to make it to those four. A victory this year gives Kansas City the same number of Super Bowl wins within the same number of seasons as Pittsburgh (4 in 6), while they still have the potential to pull ahead next season. Very interesting.
Throughout this process, Patrick Mahomes has been awarded three Super Bowl MVPs, tying the San Francisco legend Joe Montana. If the Kanas City Chiefs win this Sunday, many believe Patrick will overtake Montana for the number 2 spot in the Greatest of All-Time Quarterback discussion. Well… at least I think that.
History Making for Mahomes
All data from www.Pro-Football-Reference.com
Having 3 Super Bowl MVPs at this point means Patrick Mahomes won 2 in back-to-back seasons. Interestingly, neither Joe Montana nor Tom Brady ever pulled that off. While they both have back-to-back Super Bowl wins, it was other players who earned one of the Super Bowl MVPs over them. GOAT receiver Jerry Rice received the accolade in 1988 before Montana could win his 3rd and final Super Bowl MVP in 1989. Tom Brady won the award in 2003, but it went to Deion Branch in 2004.
In the history of the Super Bowl, there are only 3 Quarterbacks that have won back-to-back Super Bowl MVPs… Bart Starr (in ’66 & ’67), Terry Bradshaw (’78 & ’79) and Patrick Mahomes. Neither of those past legendary greats won a 3rd Super Bowl MVP, putting the Chiefs Quarterback in a one-of-one category. Should his team win this year, he has a chance to push it further:
🏈The only 3-peat Super Bowl MVP winner ever
🏈Passing up Joe Montana on total Super Bowl MVPs
🏈Coming within one Super Bowl MVP of Brady’s total, in less than half the time
This adds some additional stakes to the upcoming Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.
History Making for the Kansas City Chiefs
No matter how this Super Bowl turns out, history has already been made. With the prospects of a 3-peat, a historic number of Super Bowl appearances within a small timeframe, and the record-breaking Super Bowl MVPs… a special place in the history of football dynasties has already been secured by the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. Nonetheless, they are on the cusp of obtaining truly historic achievements the likes of which would set them apart from all other dynasties that have come before. Furthermore, Mahomes could soundly secure the number 2 spot of all-time among Quarterbacks, with at least a decade of play left to go… says me.
[…] largest viewership in Super Bowl history tuned in to see if the Chiefs would capture the first ever Super Bowl 3-peat in NFL history. That said, I’m sure quite a few were excited to watch for the Eagles get revenge over their loss […]