Chiefs Super Bowl LIX Preview: Dynasty Dominance
The Kansas City Chiefs are the first dynasty to succeed Tom Brady’s New England Patriots. The team has won back-to-back Super Bowls in 2023 and 2024, crushing NFL fans’ hopes across the country. The Chiefs are looking to become the first team to ever three-peat in the Super Bowl era, facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. With the hate never higher, the Chiefs are embracing their villain role with full awareness and conviction. The Chiefs will not have an easy game ahead of them, but they’re still the team to beat given their Super Bowl track record and distinguished players.
The most prominent player on the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, has 422 passing yards in the postseason, the seventh most among quarterbacks. His game has been incredibly disciplined thus far, throwing only two touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Mahomes’ postseason quarterback rating comes in at 79.4, only behind the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and the Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels. He has been sacked five times in the postseason, so anticipate the Eagles’ defense to get the better of the Chiefs’ offensive line. Across the four Super Bowls the 29-year-old Mahomes has played in, he’s averaged 267.8 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and roughly one interception while boasting a 3-1 winning record in the competition. Considering Mahomes’ track record, it’s difficult to bet against him this Sunday.
Beyond Mahomes, there’s, of course, his well-known teammate Travis Kelce. The tight end has remained an integral part of the team’s success throughout their dynasty. Kelce is currently averaging 68 receiving yards and four-and-a-half receptions per game in the postseason. In the Super Bowl, Kelce has averaged 87.5 receiving yards and nearly eight receptions while only catching two touchdown passes from Mahomes across the four games. With these particular stats in mind, it seems to be a coin flip whether Kelce will get touchdown glory on Sunday, yet quite likely that Mahomes will feed Kelce receptions and a fair chunk of the total receiving yards.
Beyond the team’s most popular stars, the Chiefs’ roster has plenty of valuable players deserving of praise. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy, most notable for breaking the NFL’s 40-yard dash record last year, is crucial to Kansas City coach Andy Reid’s scheme. Reid has made the most of his athletic ability, using the player as a traditional wide receiver as well as on various running plays. Worthy has 11 receptions, 130 receiving yards, and one touchdown in the postseason, as well as three rushing attempts for eight yards. Considering Worthy’s dual-threat ability, anticipate his involvement in crucial and innovative plays.
The last key part of the Chiefs’ offense is running back Kareem Hunt. The veteran player has taken primary running back duties after the previous starter Isiah Pacheco was injured in week two of the regular season. In 25 postseason rushing attempts, Hunt has 108 yards and two touchdowns. While he is not a distinct talent among Kansas City’s brightest stars, Hunt is a consistent and trustworthy part of the team’s success. I expect Hunt to get fair opportunities throughout the game, especially if the Chiefs begin to run away with it.
Beyond the offense, the Chiefs’ true unsung hero resides, surprisingly, on the special teams. Wide receiver Nikko Remigio has returned the ball from kickoffs seven times in the playoffs, accumulating 217 yards and averaging 31 per return attempt. He has also returned two punts for 52 yards, leading all players in both punt return and kickoff return yards. Remigio has dominated in his role, setting the Chiefs up for great field position time after time. Forget Mahomes and Kelce, Remigio is the player to keep an eye on throughout the game.
As far as team success goes, it’s impossible not to mention the Chiefs’ ability to close games. The common trend throughout the season is the Chiefs competing with teams closely until the end, pulling off miraculous win after miraculous win. The Chiefs have won 11 games this season by seven or fewer points. In the postseason, this trend of close-scoring games has continued. In the divisional round, the Chiefs held the Houston Texans to 14 points while winning by nine. In the AFC Championship, the Buffalo Bills scored 29 points against the Chiefs, just one point less than when both teams faced off in Week 11. The Chiefs pulled out the win, however, scoring 32 points. Considering this clear close-game trend, I doubt either team will dominate the other at any point.
With all these key players in mind, it seems appropriate to finally predict the outcome of Super Bowl LIX. The Philadelphia Eagles are a serious team whose roster was created with the utmost care. NFL MVP contender Saquon Barkley is a threat to any team on his own, while wide receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith are cherries on top of an elite offensive package. The Eagles’ impressive offensive line and rebuilt defense are highly formidable. The whole team is bent on avenging their Super Bowl LVII loss to the Chiefs two years ago. With all that being said, the Chiefs have shown us time after time after time that they are inevitable. No team outside of the Bills has demonstrated the capacity to outlast the Chiefs this year. Lamar Jackson was not the NFL’s savior. Josh Allen was not the NFL’s savior. Saquon Barkley will not be the NFL’s savior. I predict a scoreline of 37-34, with the Chiefs narrowly winning against the Philadelphia Eagles once more.