The Kansas City Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the last five years. Even though the MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson was starting for the Baltimore Ravens, who were the conference's top seed and hosted the AFC Championship on Sunday, Patrick Mahomes and company triumphed once more, winning 17-10 to advance to Super Bowl LVIII.
This is the same Chiefs squad that saw Mahomes post the least effective passing statistics of his storied career during a 3-5 run that began in late October. So how precisely did they rally to win the Super Bowl again?
Here are some reasons why:
In the postseason, Patrick Mahomes is unquestionable.
This is not mere speculation. The numbers support this. Mahomes is the leader of Kansas City's offence, which is notably more effective in the postseason than it was during the regular season. With 39 touchdown passes to just seven picks, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is currently 14-3 as a starting quarterback in the playoffs.
Mr Reliable is none other than Travis Kelce.
The Chiefs' top tight end, like his quarterback, saves some of his best plays for the biggest crowds. Even though he had a "quiet" 980-yard receiving season, at the age of 34, he found new life in the postseason, recording at least seven catches for 70 yards in each of K.C.'s triumphs. He is still essentially undiscovered.
There is power on the defensive front.
The Chiefs have two of the NFL's top pocket wreckers in Chris Jones and George Karlaftis. It always boils down to who is in the trenches. Despite having a modest stat line against Baltimore, the former has been felt all year long, totalling 24 sacks in the regular season and postseason.
Andy Reid has not given up on the run.
Mahomes and Kelce are the focal points of the Chiefs' offence, but Isiah Pacheco, a fierce ball carrier, has kept them more balanced than usual. Even though he had trouble making significant progress versus Baltimore, his distinct physicality wears out opponents with his hard exertion.
The secondary is at its best right now.
Chris Jones may be the star of the Chiefs defence, but the core of the squad is cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, a physical yet disciplined perimeter player who leads the charge. Security Trent McDuffie, a cornerback, and Justin Reid have also performed admirably under pressure.
Steve Spagnuolo is at his best.
The defensive coordinator is not only getting great play from his players, but he is also making all the right calls, particularly to apply pressure. Although the seasoned coach has long been respected, he is currently enjoying his most fruitful defensive finish run in his career.
The basics have been cleaned up.
Earlier in the season, starters for Kansas City consistently made mistakes like drops and misalignments, making their incapacity to field a trustworthy receiving corps a laughingstock throughout the league. The Chiefs have performed well in the second half of the season, particularly during the playoffs, managing the ball and the clock.
No. 1 wide receiver for Mahomes once more.
Although rookie Rashee Rice was marginally overshadowed by Kelce in the Ravens game, the first-year pass catcher was nevertheless one of Mahomes' top targets, hauling in eight receptions to cement his position as the team's best downfield option. Since Thanksgiving Weekend, he has already hauled in eight passes on four different occasions.
Two of their three opponents in the playoffs failed.
Not that it matters because the Chiefs' defence was exposed in the postseason by the Dolphins and Ravens, two of the league's most potent offences in 2023. Lamar Jackson and Tua Tagovailoa combined for just 17 points in their losses to the Chiefs.
Oddly enough, they perform best when counted out.
Though going into the game as the underdog picked by the oddsmakers, Mahomes is now 10-1-1 against the spread, proving that nobody was seriously betting against the Chiefs. He and Reid are the Patriots of this generation's Tom Brady and Bill Belichick—never, ever to be written out.
