LAS VEGAS — Before Super Bowl LVIII, the Kansas City Chiefs refused to talk much about becoming an NFL dynasty.
On Sunday, the Chiefs took their place among the all-time greats with a 25-22 victory, making them the fourth franchise to win three Super Bowls in a five-year span and the first to win back-to-back championships in 20 years. .
The Chiefs have four Super Bowl titles, tying them with the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants for fifth place.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes burnished his own legacy by leading the Chiefs to the winning series and their third Super Bowl MVP award.
The Chiefs have looked more vulnerable during the season than at any time since Mahomes became their starting quarterback, and they looked equally shaky in the first half Sunday.
They were overwhelmed on offense by the 49ers early in the game. They turned the ball over three times in the first two quarters and twice more after that and were lucky to only turn the ball over once.
The Chiefs trailed 10-0 at the end of the second quarter. But, as they had done in rallying from double-digit deficits in each of their other two Super Bowl victories with Mahomes at quarterback, they came back.
“The Kansas City Chiefs are never the underdogs, know that,” Mahomes said from the championship podium.
IT WAS DIFFICULT imagine the Chiefs in the Super Bowl at the end of December. On Christmas Day against the Las Vegas Raiders, their season hit a low point in one of its ugliest outings of the Mahomes era.
The Raiders scored two defensive touchdowns in seven seconds in the second quarter: one on a fumble by running back Isiah Pacheco and the next on an interception by Mahomes.
The Chiefs lost 20-14 and fell to 9-6 with two games remaining in the regular season, the most losses they have had in the Mahomes era. The postseason was looming and something had to give.
“It was a good wake-up call for us,” coach Andy Reid said after the AFC championship game. “It gave our guys a little bit of joy, so [lack of] a better term, a wake-up call that says, 'Listen, we have to step things up here.' Things aren't just going to fall into our laps.'”
Reid's Chiefs answered the call, posting five consecutive victories heading into Super Bowl LVIII. They won their eighth consecutive AFC West division title, won three playoff games on the road and returned to the championship games. All of this after it looked like Mahomes, Reid and a surprisingly dominant defense wouldn't be able to claw their way to another title.
“It's hard [do] back to back [long] seasons,” Reid said. “We've played a lot of football games. You have to work on it mentally. That's not an easy thing. …What you get is the best opportunity ever. You have to bring it every week. “Being in this position tells you a little bit about the mental makeup of this team.”
As unpleasant as that Christmas Day loss was for the Chiefs, the turnaround could turn into the Chiefs' most impressive Super Bowl run yet, solidifying them as a dynasty.
“Sometimes the worst things that happened to you or in your season turned out to be the best,” general manager Brett Veach said.
FOLLOWING THE ASSAULTS Up 17-7 on Christmas with less than three minutes left in the first half, the Chiefs converted a fake punt on fourth-and-5 to keep their drive alive. But on the sideline, tight end Travis Kelce became enraged and slammed his helmet to the ground when the Chiefs ran the trick play from their own 48-yard line. With seven points on the scoreboard, Kelce's frustration on the offensive end with the ball was evident.
And he wasn't the only one showing cracks. After the Chiefs gained minus 18 yards in the first quarter, Mahomes was seen issuing an impassioned plea to his offensive line.
The frustration of that Raiders game epitomized Mahomes' poor statistical performance through Week 16.
From Weeks 8-16, Mahomes' QBR was 47.1. The Chiefs went 3-5 in that span and turned the ball over 15 times. Kelce, his longtime favorite target, averaged 55.5 yards per game.
But the Raiders' loss helped reignite the spark their offense was missing.
“I saw more from inside the building how hard the guys were working, how they took it personally,” Mahomes said after the AFC Championship Game. “You kind of know how they react after games, if you're going to be in this spot or if you're going to have the opportunity to be in the spot, and the guys weren't happy and they were working to get better.” and that is what you need to have order whenever you go through adverse times.
Between Week 17 and the AFC Championship game, Mahomes' QBR was 84.9 and Kelce averaged just under 70 yards per game. In Super Bowl LVIII, Kelce had 90 yards on nine receptions.
“If you watch receivers every day, they catch on the side when the defense is up. [in practice]”Mahomes said. “They're catching after practice, catching before practice. I remember one day I was walking to lunch and Skyy [Moore] He's out there hitting it alone. Those guys had that mentality that they were going to continue to improve, and that has manifested itself throughout the team. “We didn't waste any time in training.”
THROUGH THE OFFENSIVE Because of its inconsistency, the Chiefs' defense kept Kansas City afloat on Sunday, just as it did in the regular season.
After the 49ers won the toss in overtime, the Chiefs forced them to kick a field goal on their first drive after reaching the red zone. On the next possession, the Chiefs drove 75 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard pass to Mecole Hardman Jr.
“How's that D, baby?” Reid said during the postgame ceremony.
Under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the unit finished second in scoring defense during the regular season and was even better in the playoffs against the Miami Dolphins, Bills and Ravens, allowing fewer than 14 points per game until the Super Bowl.
“I really wouldn't like to play [against] our defense,” Mahomes said. “You have depth, guys rotate, they can do everything and then you have Spags with the scheme. “All the guys are so well trained in the scheme that they use it to their advantage and you never know where they are.”
Led by defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, the Chiefs' defense had allowed a touchdown 42% of the time when the opponent was in the red zone since Week 17. From Weeks 8-16 , they averaged 56%.
Jones, 29, has been one of the NFL's best pass rushers for years. He had 10.5 sacks this season to tie the team lead after missing training camp and the first regular-season game while awaiting a new contract. On Sunday, Jones had 4 tackles and 2 quarterback hits on Brock Purdy.
The Chiefs had a league-high 80 defensive tackle pressures, including the playoffs, entering Sunday, according to ESPN Stats and Information. His ability to change the momentum of a game was on display early and often in the Super Bowl. With the 49ers advancing in the first quarter on Sunday, defensive end George Karlaftis recovered a fumble from running back Christian McCaffrey at the Kansas City 27-yard line. They also forced San Francisco to punt five times. They also held the 49ers to a field goal on the first possession of overtime before Mahomes led the Chiefs down the field for the winning touchdown.
“I still remember that in 2017 and 2018 I said if we could get [the other team] “Only punt once we have a chance,” Veach said last week. “Now all of a sudden it's like all we have to do is score once and we'll be fine.”
Mahomes and coach Andy Reid entered unusual territory with the comeback. Mahomes became the seventh player in the NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB to win three championships and two regular season MVPs in his first seven seasons, joining legendary players such as Larry Bird, Guy LaFleur, Bill Russell, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial and Joe. DiMaggio.
Reid became the fifth NFL coach with at least three Super Bowl titles. Only Bill Belichick (six) of the Patriots and Chuck Noll (four) of the Steelers are ahead of him. He is tied with Bill Walsh of the 49ers and Joe Gibbs of Washington.
When the Chiefs had a lead to protect or a one-score game to stay within reach of their opponent, their defense found a way to respond. It wasn't easy, it wasn't easy, but the Chiefs are Super Bowl champions for the second year in a row.
“When it came time to lower the hammer,” Reid said, “we lowered it.”
