Obviously, drafting Patrick Mahomes was huge. But what else?
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the Super Bowl, just one season after narrowly missing a chance — and 50 years after their last trip to the big game. Last season, the New England Patriots held on for a win in the AFC title game — and they went on to win Super Bowl LIII.
This season, the Chiefs made a statement, with a pair of blowout wins in the playoffs. They erased a 24-point deficit against the Houston Texans in the divisional round, and the Chiefs somehow stomped to a 51-31 victory. In the AFC championship, the Chiefs won with relative ease, beating the Titans 35-24.
Their offense was sensational. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is, by every measurement except Super Bowls, a great quarterback. The defense, however, might have been the biggest story. In 2019, the defensive improvements are probably why they’re in the Super Bowl.
Here’s a look at Kansas City’s four wisest decisions, which led them to Super Bowl 54.
1. Trading up to draft Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 in 2017
At the time, this wasn’t an easy decision to get behind. Some loved Mahomes’ physical gifts. Others called it like they saw it: a huge risk. He obviously had talent. But could the Chiefs mold it? The Texas Tech offense felt like a far cry from an NFL offense. But a lot has changed since then. Not only have NFL offenses grown to resemble the one at Texas Tech, but Mahomes, after sitting a season, has emerged as the most physically gifted and, probably, the best quarterback in the NFL. (Russell Wilson is a very close second, with Lamar Jackson staying relevant at third.)
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach once claimed Mahomes is “one of the best players” he’s ever seen. Again, that kind of hyperbole felt silly. Not anymore. Regardless of whether Mahomes wins Super Bowl 54, Veach’s selection of the quarterback seems to have changed the course of the NFL.
2. Firing Bob Sutton and hiring Steve Spagnuolo as the defensive coordinator
The defense was different in 2019. The unit wasn’t amazing in every category, but it was stellar at the one that mattered: points per game. The Chiefs allowed 20.2 points, 10th best in the NFL (and a touchdown less than what they allowed in 2018). So maybe they allowed the 16th most yards per game (349.5) and they were 12th best at yards per play (5.4). When it came to counting stats, the Chiefs will always have an uphill battle when Mahomes is the quarterback: the Chiefs offense is so proficient that it puts more pressure on the defense. His big-play passing skills challenge the other team to match. Still, the Chiefs defense limited points scored, which made them one of the NFL’s most complete teams.
That’s thanks to three things. First, they fired Sutton, who was a mess in 2018. Second, they hired Spags, who was excellent. And third, they revamped the talent on defense. Speaking of which…
3. Signing cornerback Bashaud Breeland, safety Tyrann Mathieu and linebacker Damien Wilson in free agency in 2019
The Chiefs made a few other good moves, with a trade for defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (5.5 sacks) and a decent deal for Alex Okafor (5 sacks). I’m reluctant to tout the Chiefs’ decision to trade for Frank Clark, a talented player with a dark past. But the Breeland, Mathieu and Wilson singings have been very positive. The 2018 secondary was comically incompetent, and Breeland and Mathieu have helped change that. Mathieu, however, contributes in more ways than one. In fact, there are few ways he doesn’t contribute — he’s a versatile defender, who works in coverage, run defense and in the pass rush. And Wilson has racked up the second-most tackles on the defense with 84.
4. The moment Mahomes identified exactly how the Chiefs would mount their comeback against the Texans
The Chiefs blowout of the Texans started a Houston blowout of Kansas City. But when they fell down 24 points, Mahomes appealed to his teammates on the sideline. He knew exactly how they could get back in the game.
“They’re playing man coverage, if we catch the ball, make one person miss, it’s a touchdown,” Mahomes said. “Let’s do something special! Let’s do something special, they already counted us the (expletive) out. One play at a time, do something special.”
It wasn’t rocket science, even if the Chiefs’ offense often seems powered by rocket fuel. Kansas City did what it does best: generate big plays. In no time, they were back in the game. Shortly thereafter, they were cruising to victory. It showed just how special Mahomes and his teammates are.
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