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The Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket back to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles awaiting them in the big game. While the latter will make their appearance for the first time since 2018, and the first with Jalen Hurts as starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have been here before, both on the winning and losing side.
Many respect Kansas City as one of the most successful franchises in recent memory, but is it premature to label them a “dynasty” should they win Super Bowl LVII?
Kansas City’s appearance in this year’s Super Bowl will mark their third trip to the big game in the last four seasons, but it is key to not overlook their dominance over the AFC as well. The Chiefs are riding a streak of seven straight seasons as AFC West champions and for the last five years, they have hosted the AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium. They have clearly been the top dogs in their own conference, but to be mentioned as a dynasty means finishing the job.
The Chiefs are 1-1 in Super Bowl games during the Mahomes era, with a comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 and a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. While the definition itself may be subjective, it is largely accepted that a dynasty in the NFL coincides with consistently winning the postseason as well as Super Bowl success. Kansas City has clearly achieved the former, but as it stands now, they are on an even footing when it comes to the latter.
A win over the Eagles, who boast a talented roster on offense and defense, would move the Chiefs above .500 in the Mahomes-Super Bowl era while doing so at the expense of one of the league’s best all-around rosters. Hoisting the Lombardi Trophy twice in the last four years is an incredible feat, but for it to be dynasty-worthy the number “three” comes to mind often. After all, that is how many assessed the last NFL dynasty in history.
From 2002 to 2005, the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy three times. They would go on to achieve the same feat close to 10 years later, winning a Super Bowl every other year from 2015 to 2019 for a grand total of three in that time span. A win over the Eagles on Sunday would surely put the Chiefs on the doorstep of dynasty status, but it feels as if they need one more in the near future to cement their status.
This article can also be found in our Ultimate Guide to Super Bowl 57, presented by Frank’s Red Hot.