Chiefs have chance to reach first Super Bowl in 50 years
The Kansas City Chiefs are right there.
There being one step away from the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years. This the same step they tripped over a year ago in Arrowhead Stadium, when a neutral zone infraction and porous defense kept them from Super Sunday.
New England 37, Kansas City 31.
This year, the Chiefs were expected to be here. Then, with Patrick Mahomes writhing on the Denver turf in Week 7 before a national audience, they were left for dead. Now, three months later, Kansas City is trying to pen one more chapter in its epic, hoping all roads lead to Miami.
Going into the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, the Chiefs are seven-point favorites over the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have gotten here as the conference’s sixth seed, improbably beating the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round before stunningly pounding the Baltimore Ravens a week ago, 28-12. One more win for Tennessee, and it’s the continuation of a shocking Super Bowl run powered by the league’s leading rusher in Derrick Henry and a cast-off quarterback, Ryan Tannehill.
As for the Chiefs, the storylines are everywhere. Could this finally be the year for Andy Reid to win his first Super Bowl and rubber stamp his way into Canton once he retires? For Patrick Mahomes, is this sweet redemption after an opportunity gone? Is this his first Super Bowl of many? His only Super Bowl? Another chance by the boards? What about men like Travis Kelce and Tyrann Mathieu? A championship on their respective resumes may one day mean the difference between a gold jacket and none at all.
And then there’s the historical aspect. The last time the Chiefs went to the Super Bowl, they weren’t even part of the NFL. They were a member of the American Football League, and they were two-touchdown underdogs to the Minnesota Vikings. They won, 23-7.
Going back to the Super Bowl would stake Kansas City’s claim as the top dog in the AFC both now and for the future. The Chiefs are teeming with young talent led by Mahomes, and the Patriots, who have held the aforementioned title for two decades, are aging rapidly. A win on Sunday and it’s the Chiefs, not the Ravens, who would be the easy choice for the top team moving forward.
One win, and everything changes for the Chiefs.
