As long as Kansas City employs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs should be a legitimate Super Bowl contender every season and the most likely to become the first team to repeat as champion since New England won back-to-back titles after the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Sunday’s 38-35 victory over Philadelphia that wasn’t decided until Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal with 9 seconds left cemented the Chiefs as a blossoming dynasty with three Super Bowl appearances in four years, including two victories for Chiefs Kingdom.
Mahomes hit the trifecta by being voted the NFL Most Valuable Player Award for the regular season, winning MVP of Super Bowl LVII, and earning his second Super Bowl ring. He was the first MVP to win the Super Bowl since Rams quarterback Kurt Warner in 1999.
Despite aggravating the ankle injury suffered in the divisional round victory over Jacksonville, Mahomes completed 21-of-27 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns. He was magnificent in the second half, completing 13-of-14 for 93 yards and two touchdowns. His one incompletion was thrown away. The Chiefs scored on every drive. Mahomes also ran for 26 of his 44 yards on the game-winning field goal drive.
Mahomes, 27, led the NFL in yards passing with 5,250 even though his favorite receiver, Tyreek Hill, was traded to Miami. Mahomes became the first quarterback to throw for at least 5,000 yards and earn a Super Bowl ring.
Mahomes is the standard-bearer who sits on the throne of the NFL’s elite group of quarterbacks. With two Super Bowl victories on his resume – one fewer than Tom Brady at the same age — Mahomes is halfway to reaching Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana, who earned four rings apiece. Brady retired with seven Super Bowl victories.
The Eagles were favored by 1½ points. If cornerback James Bradberry hadn’t been the victim of a cheesy holding call on the Chiefs’ winning drive, Philadelphia might have had a chance to win the game. If they had, third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts from Channelview would have been the MVP.
In the biggest game of his career, Hurts was outstanding. He connected on 27-of-38 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown. His rating was 103.4. He ran 13 times for 70 yards – a Super Bowl record for quarterbacks. He also ran for three touchdowns, tying the Super Bowl record. His 2-point conversion run tied the game in the fourth quarter. He helped the Eagles convert 11-of-18 on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth down.
Overall, Hurts accounted for 374 of the Eagles’ 417 yards. He made only one mistake, and it was a big one. He lost a second-quarter fumble that linebacker Nick Bolton returned for a touchdown. Hurts fashioned his second game with at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, and three rushing touchdowns. No other quarterback has accomplished that feat one time.
After losing Super Bowl XLII by three points, the Eagles have the talent to compete for another Super Bowl next season when they’ll quite possibly play the Chiefs again. Coach Nick Siriani is losing offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to Indianapolis as the Colts’ head coach. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon could be Arizona’s new coach. Gannon’s defense was the biggest disappointment in the Super Bowl. After accumulating 78 sacks in the regular season and the playoffs, the Eagles didn’t get to Mahomes one time. They pressured him only two times.
The Eagles’ running backs also were disappointing. They combined for 17 carries and 45 yards, a 2.6-yard average per carry. The running game dominated the first two playoff victories over the Giants and 49ers, but the Eagles were outrushed 158 to 115 yards in the Super Bowl.
Reid’s play design and play calling, combined with an outstanding performance by his offensive line, played a key role in the victory. The best illustration of how much Reid’s play calling was instrumental in the outcome, receivers Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore had one catch each, and both were good for wide-open touchdowns that bamboozled the Eagles’ coverage. Toney had a 5-yard touchdown reception and Moore a 4-yard score. Toney, acquired from the Giants during the season, also had a 65-yard punt return to set up a touchdown.
Because the Eagles focused so much on All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, who had six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, Mahomes was able to find other receivers. Kelce now has 133 catches for 1,548 yards and 16 touchdowns in the playoffs, including 14 from Mahomes. The only player with more is Jerry Rice, the greatest wide receiver in league history.
Even though Kansas City plays a first-place schedule every year, the Chiefs are the third team in league history to win at least 12 games in five consecutive seasons. As long as Mahomes stays healthy, they have a great chance to make it six in a row.
The brilliance of Reid, Mahomes, and Kelce provides the Chiefs with a tremendous threesome that’s unmatched in the NFL. They’ve steered the Chiefs to five consecutive AFC Championship Games, putting them on the doorstep of the Super Bowl each season. Since Reid, Mahomes, and Kelce aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, Kansas City could be the best team in the NFL going into every season. The Chiefs have already been established as 5-1 favorites to win a second consecutive Super Bowl.
The Eagles aren’t exactly chopped liver even though they blew a 24-14 halftime lead, joining Atlanta by virtue of its Super Bowl LI loss to New England as the only teams to surrender a double-digit halftime advantage. Teams leading by at least 10 are now 26-2.
The city of Philadelphia hit the hat trick of defeats. Fans watched the Phillies lose the World Series to the Astros in six games, their Major League Soccer team, the Union, lose their championship game, and now the Eagles. It’s almost too much for die-hard Philly fans to bear. Oh, well, at least the Phillies report to spring training this week to make another run at the World Series and a possible rematch with the Astros.
(John McClain writes four columns a week for GallerySports.com. He can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on Sports Radio 610 and Thursday on Texans Radio. He does three weekly Houtopia podcasts for 610. He also can be read three times a week on SportsRadio610.com).