Built for the moment: Kansas City’s unwavering Super Bowl mentality
Being complacent is often defined as a deep sense of satisfaction that removes the drive to improve. Complacency could have easily crept in for the Kansas City Chiefs as they prepare for their third straight Super Bowl appearance. Instead of settling, this team has only sharpened its edge, driven by one key factor, teamwork.
“Everybody, I mean, if you look at our entire season, it’s like someone makes a big play at the biggest moment, so to go out there and win a football game, that’s all phases, offense, defense, or special teams,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “I think the fact that it’s been everybody. It’s not just offense, it’s not just defense, it’s everybody on the entire team.”
Despite their continued success, the Chiefs’ offense looks vastly different from last season’s Super Bowl-winning squad.
New additions like DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown brought fresh firepower, while familiar faces such as Kareem Hunt and JuJu Smith-Schuster returned to Kansas City, adding a sense of familiarity.
“That’s what made this so cool. It was, in a lot of ways, like a reunion-type year,” safety Justin Reid said. “You know, we have guys coming back. Kareem Hunt has come back, JuJu Smith-Schuster has come back., other guys, Jody Fortson too.”
While the defense hasn’t undergone drastic changes, it has firmly established its identity and played a pivotal role in the Chiefs’ success this season. A major factor has been the masterful blitz schemes and play-calling of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Against Houston, Kansas City’s defense dominated with eight sacks. In the AFC Divisional Round against Buffalo, the Chiefs pressured Josh Allen on 46% of his dropbacks, the highest rate he faced all season.
“You hear the amount of different pressures, cover zeros, simulated pressures, the sheer volume of it was a little bit like, wow, this is really deep,” Reid said. “Then you just keep building that arsenal, and he’s able to pull from it whenever he wants.”
As the Chiefs prepare to chase history in Super Bowl LIX, Mahomes has a chance to elevate his legacy even further, drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan in the process.
While Mahomes acknowledges the praise, his focus remains locked on the task at hand.
“You always want to leave a legacy and kind of make your imprint on history, but more than anything, you just want to accomplish a goal that you have with your teammates,” Mahomes said. “When you start the season, your goal is to win the Super Bowl, but I’m proud of how our guys have gone about that process.”
