It's only fitting that the same year Tom Brady retires, then un-retires, only to retire once and for all, that the NFL gets its next dynasty. The Kansas City Chiefs, in their solid Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles, have cemented themselves as the team to beat. After losing Tyreek Hill, their offensive Swiss army knife, in a draft day deal, many pundits, talking heads and fans believed that Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid wouldn't be able to hold a candle to the other AFC championship contenders. Instead of holding a candle, the Chiefs decided to hold the Lombardi Trophy instead. The Kansas City Chiefs dynasty is here to stay.
Chiefs Kingdom Continues to Claim the NFL Landscape
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
RELATED: Kansas City's Secret Weapon Has Been the Play of Young Stars
It's possible that hot takes and under-analysis got ever Chiefs doubter a little too comfortable with the "Chiefs are dead" narrative following the Hill trade. Looking back, it's patently obvious that the Chiefs not only aced this deal, but got better in areas where they needed to. In trading their No. 29 pick in the 2022 to New England in exchange for the Patriots' No. 21 pick, the Chiefs were able to select Trent McDuffie. With their No. 30 pick, Kansas City selected George Karlaftis. And to top it all off, with their No. 54 pick in the draft, that Kansas City received from New England, the Chiefs selected Skyy Moore from Western Michigan.
All three of those players would be instrumental not only in getting the Chiefs into the Super Bowl, but winning the Super Bowl. I'll put it like this. Skyy Moore has more Super Bowl touchdowns than Tyreek Hill.
The Dynamic Duo of Kelce and Mahomes
Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While the kids are certainly alright at Arrowhead, the old guard keeps getting better. The broadcast booth refrain of "how does Travis Kelce keep getting open?" isn't so much dead air filler as it is legitimately astounding. The notion that Travis Kelce, who has been a problem in this league for years, remains open at any point in any game is incredible. Yet, here we are, listening to Greg Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt ask it every 15 minutes during Super Bowl LVII. Perhaps the answer is simpler than we all think. It's because Patrick Mahomes is too good.
Patrick Mahomes won his second NFL MVP in 2022 and there's no real argument against it. Mahomes is the most valuable player in the truest sense of the word. But what Mahomes brings to the game is an unpredictable consistency that can't be defended against. No other player can appear to scramble, stop, throw 60 yards across the field, hitting an open receiver right in the numbers. No one can do that. It's crazy. It shouldn't be legal. Yet, plays like those have become Mahomes' calling card. Unlike the Brady/Gronk connection that floated the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Super Bowl rings, Kelce and Mahomes have a connection that is otherworldly. It's not one player's strength and size dominating a defense, while the other lofts a ball to the end zone. Mahomes and Kelce work on a higher level. It's magic.
It's Officially Kansas City vs. Everybody
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
With the Super Bowl confetti being swept up as we speak, the majority of NFL fans are resetting their records back to 0-0 in the anticipation of a new season. With the hopes of a new season often comes an unbridled optimism usually seen in other sports like baseball and hockey. But, in reality, the Kansas City Chiefs will remain at the top of the NFL standings until they're knocked off. This team is not going anywhere. They are the team to beat, in every sense of the word.
When Tom Brady and Bill Belichick terrorized the NFL over the last two decades, it was New England who sat atop those standings. At the beginning of the 2022 NFL season, everyone was ready to crown the Buffalo Bills the new team to beat in the AFC. Everyone except Kansas City. Now, the Chiefs can sit back and plan for next season, knowing that every team in the NFL is trying to figure out how to replicate their success and how to knock the crown off their heads.
That's a task that is easier said than done, especially when the last five AFC Championship games have been played at Arrowhead Stadium.
