Top 5 Reasons the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl Champions By Hank Indictor
For the second time in the last four years, the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl Champions! This game was an all-time classic and you might be able to make an argument for it to be the greatest Super Bowl of all time between a loaded Eagles squad and a Chiefs team with the best quarterback and an all-time great head coach in Andy Reid.
Now, I said on paper that overall the Eagles had the better team, and I still stand by that sentiment. But at the end of the day, this doesn’t matter and that’s why they play the games.
So how did the Chiefs win? Well, let’s dive into it as I present to you the top five reasons why the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions.
Honorable Mentions:
Kadarius Toney: Before I get to the top five, I do need to mention Kadarius Toney. He may have only had one catch for five yards but that catch was a touchdown that gave the Chiefs the lead. And after the Eagles were forced to punt he nearly became the first player in Super Bowl history to return it for a touchdown! I can’t put him at the top five, but I do think his plays shifted the momentum.
Travis Kelce: If there’s any tight end that was on par with Gronk while he was still playing, it would have to be Travis Kelce. And although he had six catches they went for 81 yards and a TD! And a second ring combined with his already impressive numbers cements his place in the Hall of Fame.
Brett Veach: He drafted key heroes for the Kansas City Chiefs, such as Isaiah Pacheco, Skyy Moore, Nick Bolton, and Creed Humphrey, in addition to making key trades like bringing in Orlando Brown and Frank Clark. But he was also responsible for bringing in the most significant member of the team, and I’ll get to him later.
5. Turnovers: One of the reasons this is arguably the greatest Super Bowl of all time is because there was only one turnover! And that turnover resulted in a score as Nick Bolton scooped up Jalen Hurts’ fumble and took it for a TD that tied the game in the second quarter. If that one turnover doesn’t happen, the Chiefs probably lose this game and don’t come back. And thus winning this battle proved to be crucial. Not to mention any turnover Philly could’ve forced is probably a big difference between winning and losing.
4. Defense wins championships (or lack thereof): Yes the Eagles ultimately didn’t put the pressure on Patrick Mahomes and ultimately lost this game. But contrast that to the Chiefs? Sure they allowed 35 points but ultimately Steve Spagnolo made the necessary adjustments and other than a long bomb they surrendered that led to the Eagles' game-tying TD, and they didn’t allow the Eagles to score more than a Field Goal in the second half. Oh yeah and fun fact: Spags now has his third ring as a defensive coordinator. You may remember he had a hand in ruining the Patriots' perfect season too! And with him beating the Eagles I can safely say, Once a Giant always a Giant!
3. Andy Reid: He coached a great game and while Nick Sirriani got too conservative with his play calling he made the necessary adjustments in the second half to lead the Chiefs to a double-digit comeback! Remember that narrative about how he couldn’t win the big one? Well now he has two rings and is at the top of not one but two teams' lists for Head Coaching wins. That’s another bust in Canton that will be created very soon! But of course, it also helps to finally have an elite QB.
2. Patrick Mahomes: Okay let’s take a look beyond his legendary Super Bowl performance and talk about what he did in the playoffs as a whole! Completed 72 percent of his passes for 703 yards and threw for seven TDs and no interceptions A lot of this while playing with a sprained ankle. No question that this was his signature playoff performance. But do you want to know the scary part? He’s not even 30 years old yet and after only six seasons he already has Hall-of-Fame caliber numbers! So why is he not No. 1? Well, for a great QB to succeed he needs to get by with a little help from his friends. This brings me to...
1. The Referees: JK! That holding call on James Bradberry was the correct call even if it appeared ticky-tacky. And you know who agrees that it was the right call? James Bradberry himself! After all, he admitted it after the game! And sorry, Eagles fans, but when your team fumbles for the only turnover, can’t hold a 10-point lead, and can’t play defense, I don’t think there’s any room to complain about one call.
Okay now for real
1. The Battle in the Trenches: This was a real factor in determining the winner. Not only did the Chiefs' offensive line do a masterful job, but the Eagles simply were unable to apply the pressure and Patrick Mahomes was not sacked. In addition, it enabled the Chiefs to establish some solid runs and gave Patrick Mahomes the time to exploit some broken defensive coverages by the Eagles. Have to give the whole unit credit where credit is due!
So. there ya have it. The Chiefs won this game fair and square; they deserve all the credit in the world. And as long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy and still in his prime, he’ll continue to keep the Chiefs in the mix of contention for years to come!