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The Kansas City Chiefs got positive news on the injury front with Marquise Brown, but things are a little less clear for Harrison Butker. But there are reasons why the Chiefs must not be the Super Bowl favorite despite racing out to 12-1 record.
First, let’s start with Captain Obvious. No team has ever won three straight Super Bowl titles. The reasons are many, but the main one is avoiding enough injuries for three straight seasons. The NFL is a tough and physical world. And while replacements can often be good enough stop-gaps for a team, losing certain players would end the Chiefs’ run.
For example, if Patrick Mahomes got hurt, there’s almost zero chance of a three-peat. Well, let’s say it. Carson Wentz is the backup. You get the picture. Another player who couldn’t be replaced is defensive tackle Chris Jones. ALso, Travis Kelce needs to be on the field, too.
Also, keep in mind there can only be one true Super Bowl favorite. And the Chiefs don’t have the resume this season that the Detroit Lions hold.
Chiefs third title run annoys 31 other teams
It’s hard to win a Super Bowl. Of the 32 NFL franchises, only 20 have won the Super Bowl. Four teams — Jacksonville, Houston, Cleveland, and Detroit — have never even been there.
And the Arizona Cardinals haven’t won an NFL title in 76 seasons in existence. But they did reach the Super Bowl in 2009.
The Detroit Lions last won an NFL championship in 1957. That’s 64 years ago, if you’re counting.
Cleveland Browns? They won an NFL title in 1964. They also lost three AFC title games in four years to the Denver Broncos each time.
Minnesota Vikings? They have enjoyed the fun of losing four times in the Super Bowl. They’ve been around for 63 years.
The Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tennessee Titans each came into the NFL in 1966. They all hold a 58-season championship drought. The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals both have never won a Super Bowl and hold 58- and 56-season droughts.
As for the longest Super Bowl drought of a team that has won one is the New York Jets. They hold a 56-season Super Bowl drought with their most recent win in the 1968 season, winning Super Bowl III.
You get the picture. The Chiefs have made it look easy, and it’s not.
What about how the Chiefs look in 2024?
If someone told you the Chiefs have been lucky this season, it would be hard to find a way to deny that claim.
For starters, if every one-score game the Chiefs won this season had gone the other way, they would have a record of 2-11. Wait. What? That’s right, the Chiefs are 10-0 in one-score games. Their lone loss came by nine points.
And it’s not like Mahomes has led an impressive drive down the field and capped it off with a winning touchdown every time. The Chiefs blocked a short field goal attempt (35 yards) by the Broncos on the last play of the game to preserve a 16-14 win.
Also, the Raiders were in field goal position and trailing by two points with 15 seconds remaining when Aidan O’Connell fumbled the snap. The Chiefs recovered and preserved a 19-17 victory.
And in their most recent win, their backup kicker hit one off the left upright and it snuck through for a last-play 19-17 win.
NBC News ran this headline: The Chiefs are the most vulnerable 12-1 team in NFL history.
“In eight of Kansas City’s 12 wins this season, it either took the lead or made the decisive defensive stand in the final minute of regulation or overtime. The Chiefs are the first team ever to win 10 of its first 13 games by seven points or fewer.”
The point of this is: Luck runs out
Destiny finds a new boyfriend.
Can you envision this happening? The Chiefs lead the Bills 24-20 in the AFC championship game. With 2:45 left in the game, the Bills are forced to punt as they hold all three of their timeouts. On the punt, the ball takes a crazy bounce and clips one of the Chiefs players. Buffalo recovers at the Chiefs’ 40-yard line. Josh Allen takes over and drives the Bills to the Chiefs’ 9-yard line with five seconds remaining. On the game’s final play, Allen sprints out of the pocket. He’s running toward the sideline and throws back across his body. Two Chiefs defenders go for the ball and collide. The ball is knocked into the air, and a Bills’ receiver dives for it. He deflects the ball back into the air and left tackle Dion Dawkins makes a diving one-hand catch in the end zone. Chiefs lose.
That scenario — though heavily tongue-in-cheek — is pretty much the way the Chiefs deserve to lose.
Patrick Mahomes thinks otherwise
Good for him. He’s a great leader. He should say he believes in his team, and he did, according to bolavip.com.
“We’re getting healthier as an offense,” Mahomes said recently. “We’re just getting more reps with the guys. I think, as the season goes on, you figure out what guys are best at. We’re striving to be better. It’s just having a standard every single day. You want to be playing your best football at the end of the year and we’re getting there.”
Kurt Warner is putting his backing behind Mahomes, according to a post on X.
“I know Patrick Mahomes may not have the stats we have come to know or the O may not be scoring up to expectations,” Warner said. “But until you pop on the tape each week and see what exactly he is doing play-to-play, you have no idea how good this guy really is! He continually makes the play in the moment, whether it shows up as impressive in stat book or not!!”
