Fresh off their back-to-back Super Bowl victories, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs begin this season in a position few teams have ever achieved. The last team to do so was Tom Brady’sNew England Patriots in 2006.
That season ended in a playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, marking Brady’s first postseason defeat and ending the Patriots’ record ten-game postseason winning streak. Now, with the possibility of a three-peat on the horizon, the question arises: Could Mahomes, with four titles, and a three-peat be considered the NFL’s GOAT, rivaling Brady?
On Fox’s “First Things First,” where Tom Brady will soon be broadcasting, analysts discussed the chances of other AFC West teams dethroning the Chiefs, who have dominated the division since 2016, even with Alex Smith as their quarterback.
Analyst Chris Broussard emphatically stated, “No, next question,” dismissing the Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers’ chances. Indeed, the Chiefs boast an even stronger roster than last season. Despite Mahomes having his worst statistical season, the Chiefs still finished three games ahead of the second-place Raiders.
The show also examined the “new” Chargers under Jim Harbaugh, fresh off a national championship with Michigan. Although Justin Herbert has shown flashes of stardom, the Chargers lost key playmakers this offseason: Keenan Allen to the Bears, Austin Ekeler to the Commanders, and Mike Williams to the Jets.
Herbert now has Quentin Johnston as his top target, but the Chargers’ offensive firepower still pales in comparison to the Chiefs’.
As for the Broncos, they are starting rookie quarterback Bo Nix, while the Raiders, despite a strong finish under Antonio Pierce, are still the Raiders.
Winning the division this year would mark the Chiefs’ ninth consecutive AFC West title, just two shy of the Patriots’ record 11 straight from 2009 to 2019. Given the state of the division and the Chiefs’ motivation, it seems likely they will continue their dominance. Betting on the Chiefs to win the division, despite the low odds (-250), seems like a safe wager.
Since Patrick Mahomes became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback in 2018, the reigning champions have been the team to beat. They’ve reached the AFC Championship game in each of the past six seasons and won three of the four Super Bowls they’ve appeared in.
With their recent back-to-back titles, the Chiefs joined an elite group of teams, including the Packers (l-ll), Dolphins (Vll – VIIL), Steelers (IX – X) (XILI – XIV), San Francisco (XXIII – XXIV), Cowboys (XVII – XXVIII), Broncos (XXXII – XXXIII) and Patriots (XXXVIII – XXXIX) who have won consecutive Super Bowls.
The aura surrounding the Chiefs is one of a perennial winner. No matter the score, they always seem capable of a comeback, thanks in large part to Patrick Mahomes. Should they achieve the three-peat, some younger fans might even attribute their success to the Taylor Swift effect. But make no mistake, it’s Mahomes and the Chiefs’ talent and determination that have them poised for another historic season.
