Super Bowl: Chiefs with top defense on the way to a dynasty

With Bill Belichick as head coach and Tom Brady as quarterback, the Patriots reached the playoffs 17 times between 2001 and 2019, were in the Super Bowl nine times and won six titles. There was something like that beforeor has never happened before and may never happen again because it is incredibly difficult to be consistently successful in the NFL.

But the Kansas City Chiefs can definitely do it. This year they are in the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the last six years and have already won two titles during this time. Superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes is only 28 years old, so at best he will play for many more years and play for a few titles with the Chiefs (Brady is still playing at 45).

Since Brady later won a seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that is the number that many also believe Mahomes can achieve. When asked about it, he remains reserved at first. “I’m not even close to the halfway mark,” he said at the opening nightnd the Super Bowl against San Francisco in Las Vegas. “Now I’m doing everything I can to beat a good 49ers team and get that third ring. If you ask me that again in 15 years, I'll see if I'm close to seven. But that still seems like a long way to go to me.”

Nobody doubts that Mahomes has the class to make it. But he can't fix it alone, even if he eventually replaces Brady as the greatest quarterback of all time. Because the old master always had his teammates that he could rely on. In particular, Belichik's defense has always been excellent.

Mahomes initially didn't have a top-class defense during his time with the Chiefs. Kansas City mostly overwhelmed its opponents with dominance on offense, with Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and the head coach and othersnd offensive mastermind Andy Reid.

But success literally comes at a price. Top players want top contracts, and Mahomes is no exception. Hill, the fastest player in the league, was let go. Money was saved in the wide receiver group, i.e. Mahomes' passing stations. It was a very big problem for the first time in 2023. They didn't consistently manage to get free or catch the ball. This is a problem, especially in critical moments, and it can also become an issue in the Super Bowl.

But the Chiefs finally have a top defense this year. In recent years it has mostly been in the middle rangeß, 2023 Elite. There have been a few hints: They are extremely strong, especially in pass defense, and the group, which is still very young in 2022, has taken a big step forward and can drive opponents to despair. This also helps the players at the front of the defensive line, like Chris Jones, who regularly shows his best performances in big games.

The defense against the run, where the San Francisco 49ers are particularly strong, is a little problematic. But the Chiefs and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo also found solutions in the playoffs. Among other things, the Baltimore Ravens were left out in the cold in this regard – and statistically they had the best running game in the league, even ahead of the 49ers. But the Ravens also don't have the best running back in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey, who plays in San Francisco. Stopping him will be the first task.

While the Chiefs' offense continued to wobble over the course of the season, the defense consistently played at a high level and pulled the coals out of the fire time and time again. It's a new quality from Kansas City that makes the team even better. Can the Defense keeps the opponent in check, then the chances of a victory are automatically very high thanks to Mahomes.

So if the defense makes the difference on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, it won't bother Mahomes or tight end Travis Kelce – the main players in recent years. The most important thing is to win the third ring. Because as Kelce said: “One is no one, with two you are special, but with three you cement your legacy, then you are part of a dynasty.” Even if there is still a long way to go to the Patriots.