The Kansas City Chiefs became an undeniable dynasty after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58. Patrick Mahomes capped off a sensational first six years of his career with an all-time drive in overtime, Andy Reid pushed himself further into the greatest coach ever conversation and the defense solidified itself as a true juggernaut that deserves a notable place in the history books.
KC's title run had a bit of everything. It was loaded with drama, thrilling endings, awful weather and celebrity star power. There was also one key component that Chiefs fans are unlikely to dwell on years from now, but it is sure to cause plenty of indigestion and involuntary twitches for a couple of other fan bases.
“Using our framework, 2023 KC had the most win prob added via luck of any playoff team since 2018,” Football Ops Data Scientist Tom Bliss posted on X earlier this week.
Using our framework, 2023 KC had the most win prob added via luck of any playoff team since 2018.
Most significant plays for KC:
– BUF missed FG with 1:47 left (+18.7%)
– BUF dropped 54 yd pass with 8:23 left (+18.3%)
– Recovery of SF muffed punt with 2:42 left in Q3 (+15.6%) pic.twitter.com/KJdtZrxrqU— Tom Bliss (@DataWithBliss) February 13, 2024
Every team gets a break now and again, but the Chiefs benefited from some devastating and inexplicable blunders. The Buffalo Bills had multiple drops and kicker Tyler Bass missed a game-tying field goal late in the fourth quarter. Mahomes and company would have still had time to break fans' hearts, but the errant 44-yard attempt denied the Bills' defense the opportunity to send the divisional round matchup into overtime.
While Kansas City must be given credit for its role in forcing these missteps, the team did nothing to trigger the wild, momentum-changing punt return fiasco in Super Bowl 58. The ball bounced off the foot of Darrell Luter, who was blocking at the time, and was ultimately recovered by the Chiefs. They immediately scored to take their first lead of the game.
The Lombardi Trophy was not unfairly stolen from the 49ers by any means. They had their chances to render that unusual mistake ineffective in the fourth quarter and OT but just couldn't overcome the best team of this era.
Still, one has to wonder if a black cat walked through the Buffalo and San Fran locker rooms during halftime. Or any time in the last five years for that matter.
Follow Us
Subscribe