Chiefs must win a Super Bowl to challenge Patriots’ dynasty
IF Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are going to challenge Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ unprecedented two-decade run of success, they have to win a Super Bowl this season.
Mahomes and the defending champion Chiefs are facing their toughest road yet to a Lombardi Trophy. They have to go to Baltimore and take down the No. 1 seed Ravens in the Chiefs finished with the No. 3 seed so they didn’t get a bye or home-field advantage. They shut down Miami at home in the wild-card round and stunned the Bills Mafia in Buffalo last week to advance.
Now, it’s on to Baltimore for Mahomes’ second career playoff game outside Arrowhead Stadium except for three Super Bowls.
Road teams are 35-71 in conference championship games. Brady’s teams own four of those wins. Brady was 4-3 with the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in conference title games. Each of those four wins, including one over Mahomes and the Chiefs in 2019, led to a Super Bowl victory.
Mahomes proved against the Bills he can lead his team to a tough win as an underdog in a harsh environment. He has to do it again Sunday to really have a shot at making a run at Brady’s seven rings.
Mahomes and coach Andy Reid have won two Super Bowls together in their first six seasons. Brady and Bill Belichick won six in 20 years. “We’ve still got a long way to go,” Mahomes said. “They did it for 20 years. All we can do is take it year in, year out, week in, week out and every single day. That’s the long goal, to win that many championships and bring those titles to this organization, but all we can do is focus on the Ravens this week and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Mahomes is only 28. Brady won his third Super Bowl at age 27 but didn’t get his fourth until 10 years later.
Sure, Mahomes should have plenty of opportunities left even if he doesn’t play until he’s 45 like Brady did. But getting to this point isn’t easy. There are no guarantees. Mahomes already is lacking a true No. 1 wide receiver. It’s unknown how much longer he’ll have star tight end Travis Kelce, who is 34.
And, the AFC West just became much more competitive. The Los Angeles Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh on Wednesday, pairing a proven winner with a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert. No doubt Harbaugh has his sight set on ending Kansas City’s eight-year run of dominance in the division.