Why Chiefs Super Bowl Win Would Force Uncomfortable Patriots Talk

The New England Patriots relied on longevity to solidify themselves as one of the NFL’s best, if not the best, dynasties ever. New England put together a trio of titles in back-to-back decades for six championships in a 20-year window.

The franchise that struggled to win or even be relevant for decades since its founding suddenly rose above the powerhouse dynasties of the past and present in conversations with the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s, the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s, the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s and the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick constructed a football haven in Foxboro that stood the test of time for the 21st century. Both men are gone, and the Patriots have more than felt the effects in the midst of a deep rebuild. While the organization fights to get back to winning ways under Mike Vrabel, its fans can keep interest in the present in the preservation of the dynasty.

A new dynasty has taken over the 2020s thus far, as the Kansas City Chiefs have secured three championships in five years under head coach Andy Reid and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

During the current reign of the NFL, the Chiefs have put pressure on the Patriots’ run with seven straight AFC Championship appearances (one shy of New England’s record from 2011-2018), five Super Bowl appearances and three titles so far.

There have been a few areas where New England created separation. The Chiefs are hot, but they’ll need sustainability and creative roster management to span this success past two decades. Brady also holds a crucial lead over Mahomes with a 2-0 mark in head-to-head playoff meetings from the 2018 AFC Championship Game with the Patriots and Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So far, the Chiefs have matched or gotten close to the marks the Patriots racked up. This Sunday, Kansas City has its first chance to reach a level New England never did.

The Chiefs are the first team to reach the Super Bowl after winning back-to-back titles. They became the first team to win two straight championships since the Patriots in 2003 and 2004. New England fell in the AFC Divisional round in the 2005 playoffs and later went to three straight Super Bowls from 2016-2018 with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles sandwiched between two victories.

So, if the Chiefs beat the Eagles for the Lombardi Trophy, what would that mean?

A fourth championship for Mahomes by the age of 29. Remember, Brady won his fourth title in his age-37 season after a 10-year drought. Kansas City would also win a fourth title in six seasons.

The Patriots still have some breathing room even with a potential Kansas City victory, though the Chiefs would have a legitimate argument to overtake the predecessors by passing them in multiple factors of the great debate of NFL legacy.