With last night’s win, a legend was born.
Down 20-10 in the Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs looked as though they were hanging on by a thread. Mahomes had just thrown two interceptions and the 49ers defense was making the Chiefs offense look pedestrian. With just over seven minutes left to play, Mahomes threw a pass to Tyreek Hill on 2nd and 15 that appeared to be complete. Upon further review, it was revealed that the ball was thrown too low and touched the ground. It was yet another example of the poor night Mahomes was having. On the ensuing 3rd and 15, Mahomes launched the ball down the field where it looked like no one was open. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, Hill came blistering into the frame and caught the ball deep inside 49ers’ territory. From there, the Chiefs went on to score 21 points in just seven minutes and captured their first Super Bowl win in 50 years, by a score of 31-20.
After the game, Mahomes was crowned Super Bowl MVP as he finished with 286 yards passing, two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, and two interceptions. Mahomes was phenomenal throughout the playoffs and with the win, he became the youngest player in league history to win both an MVP trophy and a Super Bowl. At just 24 years old, Mahomes has achieved the pinnacle of football and based on his talent, there’s no reason to believe he won’t keep up this blistering pace. When you look at all of the weapons around him, it becomes quite clear that the Mahomes-led Chiefs could be the league’s next great dynasty.
Of course, the New England Patriots currently hold the title as the best dynasty in all of sports. Until Tom Brady and Bill Belichick retire, that will never change, however, that time is almost upon us and the league is looking for another team to hold the mantle and dominate for years to come. As it stands, the Chiefs are in the best position to do this and with Mahomes at the helm, there is no doubt that they will be a problem for the next two decades.
While some may feel this is a gross overreaction, it’s important to note that there is solid reasoning behind this assertion. So let’s look at the facts, shall we? In just 31 regular season starts, Mahomes has 76 touchdowns and just 18 interceptions. When accounting for the playoffs, he has 89 touchdowns in 36 games which is a record that surpasses the likes of Dan Marino. Not to mention, Mahomes became the youngest player to score 50 touchdowns in a season, during the 2018 campaign. Individual stats don’t tell the whole story but they certainly do a great job at illustrating just how special of a talent Mahomes truly is. Statistics aside, Mahomes has proven that he knows how to win. The QB has a career regular-season record of 24-7 and is 4-1 in the playoffs.
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One could make the argument that Mahomes and the Chiefs should have won the Super Bowl last year, as they were an offside call away from defeating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. As we all remember, the Los Angeles Rams were awful in the big game and the Chiefs would have been in a great position to win. With this in mind, the Chiefs could have easily won two straight Super Bowls which is certainly the makings of a great dynasty. In the end, though, the Chiefs lost in 2019 which means, for now, they will have to settle with their one Super Bowl win. Regardless, the 2019 campaign is a great illustration of how consistent and dynamic the Chiefs are. They were able to improve upon last season’s results and there is no indication that they will be slowing down anytime soon.
A great quarterback typically isn’t enough to become a dynasty; just look at the Green Bay Packers. Luckily, the Chiefs have all the pieces in place to sustain their success long term. Defensive players like Chris Jones and Tyrann Mathieu were lights out for the team this season while offensive juggernauts such as Hill, Mecole Hardman, Travis Kelce, and Damien Williams helped take the team to new heights. With these players returning next season, the Chiefs will be in a perfect position to repeat as world champions. Add head coach Andy Reid into the mix and you have a team that can run circles around anyone. When you put all of these pieces together, it truly becomes apparent that there are very few teams who could actually beat the Chiefs when it matters. The San Francisco 49ers had an all-time great defense and were struggling to keep their head above water during the final stretch of Super Bowl 54. If teams don’t figure out Mahomes soon, he could wind up with a couple more championships over the next few years.
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Winning multiple championships is easier said done although when you look at the Chiefs’ competition, it’s certainly possible. The AFC isn’t particularly strong by any stretch of the imagination. For instance, pundits love to talk about Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson in relation to Mahomes’ biggest competition. While they are both formidable foes, there is a lot to be said about the weaknesses of their respective teams. Watson’s Texans have a horrendous defense that gave up 51 points to Mahomes in this year’s Divisional Round. Meanwhile, Jackson has yet to win a playoff game and seems to crumble in the big moments. Needless to say, the Texans and Ravens have a lot of catching up to do if they want to beat the Chiefs in future playoff matchups.
Is it too early to dub the Chiefs a future dynasty? Perhaps. There are a lot of factors that go into whether or not a team has longterm success. So far, the Chiefs are on the right track and of all 32 teams in the NFL, they are the ones in the best position to win multiple titles this decade. When you have a quarterback who can turn a hopeless game around at the flick of a wrist, it’s hard to bet against you. In the case of the Chiefs, that’s exactly what they have and at 24 years old, he won’t be leaving anytime soon.
