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The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the greatest coaches in NFL history and a two-time MVP quarterback. Needless to say, it's not a surprise that they are one game away from advancing to Super Bowl LVIII. However, it wasn't always easy for Kansas City in 2023, and this has been the toughest road for the organization in the Mahomes era.
With just four out of 32 teams remaining on the path to Super Bowl glory, we'll look back on the Chiefs' path to the AFC title game and look ahead to the game against the Baltimore Ravens and potential Super Bowl matchup.
How did the Chiefs get to this point? How can they solidify their spot in the Super Bowl? Let's dive in.
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How Did The Chiefs Get Here?
During Patrick Mahomes' six years as a starter, Kansas City has often been one of the best teams in the league from start to finish. However, the Chiefs faced more adversity and looked mortal and beatable in 2023. Andy Reid's squad began the year with a loss to the Detroit Lions at home but then ripped off six straight wins to advance to 6-1. Business as usual, right? Nope. KC lost five of the next eight games, including a loss after their Week 10 bye. They failed to score more than 19 points in any of the five losses.
On Christmas Day, the Chiefs suffered an embarrassing 20-14 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, and quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed just nine passes for 62 yards in that contest. That stretch of games was the worst KC has looked since at least the last half-decade and the AFC West was up for grabs until Week 17.
But of course, they turned it around and are now on a four-game win streak including a Wild Card win over the high-powered Miami Dolphins and a Divisional Round win over Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Sunday's win over Buffalo marked the first time Mahomes had to play a true road game in the playoffs, and Kansas City scored 27 points in 47 plays.
Mahomes to Kelce. Bread and butter. Chiefs take the lead! #ChiefsKingdom
📺: #KCvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/FR6a2VkD33 pic.twitter.com/5jUdWWbtF2— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2024
Kansas City is hot and playing its best football of the year after ranking 15th in points per game (21.8) during the regular season. Its defense surrendered the second-fewest points per game (17.3), so they were able to survive until the offense got rolling.
Why The Chiefs Will Make The Super Bowl
Why will the Chiefs make the Super Bowl? Well, they have Patrick Mahomes, who has won 13 of his 16 career playoff games. It won't be an easy task against the dominant Baltimore defense, but Mahomes always seems to find a way. This Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson matchup will be fun if it turns into a shootout, but in all likelihood, it'll be a defensive battle.
That means the game will be decided by a few special plays from one of the two quarterbacks, and based on Mahomes' history and body of work, it's hard to doubt his ability to make the game-winning plays in crucial situations. While both teams have weak overall pass-catching units and are set to face top-five secondaries, Travis Kelce is still the best of the bunch, and KC won't shrink in the big moments. We don't know that about Baltimore.
They don't call it Mahomes Magic for nothing🤷♂️🪄 pic.twitter.com/i3gUvQNHdp
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) January 24, 2024
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