Keep Doubting the Chiefs at Your Own Risk
The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl Champions again after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII. It was an epic battle that went back and forth, with the Eagles taking the early advantage that led to a 10-point halftime edge for Philly. The Chiefs stormed back in the second half behind a valiant effort from Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and were able to land a pseudo-walk-off field goal from kicker Harrison Butker with less than 10 seconds left in the game.
The game lived up to the hype, and the Chiefs’ season exceeded most people’s expectations. Despite what many pundits have been saying since the game ended on Sunday, the Chiefs were indeed doubted last offseason and the players have been letting everyone know it.
When every team in the AFC West was adding big pieces and the Chiefs were trading away an All-Pro wide receiver, that’s when the doubters started making their voices heard. In all honesty, it’s fair to see where most of these folks came from. Seeing Davante Adams and Chandler Jones added to the Raiders' roster, the addition of Kahlil Mack to the Chargers, plus a new head coach and Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson added to the Broncos roster made sense, after all.
How would the Chiefs counter that? General manager Brett Veach decided to make moves through the draft and added a couple of under-the-radar pieces via free agency to round out the roster. How did that go for the Chiefs? They went 6-0 against AFC West opponents during the 2022 season. Keep doubting this team.
The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals were obviously the two best teams in the AFC according to most. Bills quarterback Josh Allen was going to be the next MVP of the league and the Bengals beat the Chiefs in the previous AFC Championship Game. Then the Bills and Bengals beat the Chiefs in the regular season and the skepticism grew even more. However, who hangs regular-season win banners? Keep doubting this team.
Mahomes lost his top wide receiver and teams had him figured out, right? There’s no way Mahomes wouldn’t see a regression in a retooling year for the Chiefs, right? All he just did was lead the league in passing yards (5,250) and passing touchdowns (41) and became the first quarterback in NFL history to have over 5,600 total yards in one season. Keep doubting this team.
Travis Kelce was getting older and wouldn’t be able to get open without an elite wide receiver that could take the top off a defense. George Kittle and Mark Andrews were going to overtake him as the best tight end in the NFL. Instead, Kelce finished eighth in receiving yards (first among tight ends) and second in receiving touchdowns (also first among tight ends). Keep doubting this team.
The defensive line might be able to create some pressure, but it was never going to get any sacks. Oh wait, the line finished second in the league in total sacks this season. The offensive line was going to give up too many pressures. It didn’t allow a sack against the best defensive line in the league, what some were calling the second coming of the ‘85 Bears, in Super Bowl LVII. Keep doubting this team.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney couldn’t stay healthy and was going to be a bust after a midseason trade brought him over from the New York Giants. All he did was score a touchdown to give the Chiefs their first lead in the Super Bowl and have the longest punt return in Super Bowl history to set up the team for another score. Keep doubting this team.
Skyy Moore was a busted second-round pick. He couldn’t see the field as a wide receiver and didn’t know how to field punts. All he did was help set up the game-winning field goal with a punt return in the AFC Championship Game and then get the final touchdown for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl that helped his team get the win. Keep doubting this team.
Harrison Butker got hurt in Week 1 and would never be able to return to form. Butker’s accuracy was off from all ranges and angles on the field. There was no way he could overcome that. All he did was kick game-winning field goals in the AFC Championship and Super Bowl games. Keep doubting this team.
Head coach Andy Reid wouldn't be able to overcome his time management blunders and in-game decision-making. While the occasional challenge flag gets thrown or doesn’t get thrown at the appropriate time, having the perfect play calls in the perfect moments and making sure the Chiefs were able to milk the final five minutes of game clock to win the Super Bowl was something special to watch. Keep doubting this team.
There are already folks claiming the Chargers will win the AFC West next season. The Broncos hired Sean Payton as their head coach and we will surely hear how Russell Wilson is going to have a bounce-back year and Denver is going to pass up the Chiefs in 2023. If Aaron Rodgers ends up as the Raiders' next quarterback, we all know Las Vegas will be the next team to become a thorn in the Chiefs’ side in the eyes of many. Keep doubting this team.
Kansas City, you got your parade, but the number of haters will only grow as the team’s dynasty continues to be built. The Chiefs are currently the odds-on favorite to repeat as Super Bowl Champions in 2024 but for some reason, the naysayers are already out in full force yet again as the offseason is just getting underway. Go ahead, keep doubting this team.
