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Are All Dynasties Destined to Turn into Villains? The Chiefs Are Discovering Out. | The Ringer
Drawback no. 1 with the Chiefs’ villainy is that it’s not truly rooted in hate; it’s rooted in annoyance. Sports activities hatred works finest when it’s concentrated round a central thought—the Patriots have been cheaters, the Warriors performed soiled and acquired titles, the Yankees have been chilly and joyless. If one thing like this does exist for Kansas Metropolis, the central idea is its inevitability.
The Chiefs may have now been to 5 of the previous six Tremendous Bowls. They’ve received 17 straight one-score video games. Simply while you suppose you’ve acquired them, they discover a solution to win. This season, the Chiefs had simply the Eleventh-best level differential within the NFL, however they tied for one of the best report. They stick round. Preseason Tremendous Bowl predictions—mine included—typically boiled right down to “Nothing issues, Chiefs win.” No thriller, no sense of risk, no room for anybody else. Positively annoying!
“There’s no Dennis Rodman determine,” Nate Taylor, who covers the Chiefs for The Athletic, advised me. “There’s not even somebody who’s like, ‘All proper, they’re a superb group, however I fucking hate that man.’ There’s no Draymond Inexperienced on this group. It’s simply Nick Bolton tackling you.”
Tremendous Bowl 2025: Chiefs-Eagles picks, key stats, predictions | ESPN
Can the Chiefs defend the Eagles’ tush push?
Judging solely by how they defended the Payments’ model of the play within the AFC Championship Sport, the Chiefs have purpose to imagine they’ll maintain up nicely. Josh Allen and Buffalo tried it six occasions towards Kansas Metropolis however transformed simply twice. One cease got here on fourth down on the Kansas Metropolis 41-yard line within the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs trailed by some extent. They used the favorable area place to attain the go-ahead landing.
“The [defensive] line must be dominant,” defensive sort out Chris Jones mentioned on how the Chiefs defended the play. “Your two [nose guards] and your two ends must be bodily on the within.”
Kansas Metropolis hasn’t fared as nicely in defending Hurts on the tush push. He used it to attain two touchdowns towards the Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LVII. Hurts additionally used it to attain the successful landing towards Kansas Metropolis within the fourth quarter of a Week 11 regular-season contest in 2023. — Teicher
5 Ideas Forward of NFL Tremendous Bowl LIX | Bleacher Report
The Chiefs Might Turn into the Best Dynasty of All Time
The Tremendous Bowl period has contained some fairly clear-cut dynasties.
The Steelers received 4 Tremendous Bowls in a six-year span within the Seventies, the 49ers received 4 titles in a nine-year span within the Nineteen Eighties, the Cowboys took residence three Vince Lombardi Trophies in a four-year span within the Nineteen Nineties, and the Patriots received six Tremendous Bowls in an 18-year stretch earlier this century.
Having now appeared in 5 of the final six Tremendous Bowls and 7 consecutive AFC Championship Video games, the Chiefs are virtually sure to go down as a dynasty, even when they don’t win on Sunday or ever once more within the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid period.
However now it’s time to begin taking a look at whether or not this might truly turn into the best dynasty of the trendy period.
With a win Sunday, Kansas Metropolis would match Pittsburgh’s “4 in six” run from the Seventies whereas additionally turning into the primary three-peat champion in Tremendous Bowl historical past. Making the sport regardless of shedding to the Buccaneers in 2020 additionally counts for one thing, simply as New England’s three shedding Tremendous Bowl appearances underneath Tom Brady and Belichick do.
Belichick and Brady deserve a ton of recognition for sustaining their dynasty longer than anybody else, and there’s a superb likelihood that holds up past this Chiefs run. However a Chiefs win on Sunday would cement the group’s run between 2018 and 2024 as the best dynasty in Tremendous Bowl historical past.
A loss on Sunday complicates issues barely, however three Tremendous Bowl wins, 5 Tremendous Bowl appearances and 7 convention title recreation appearances in a seven-year span would nonetheless maintain Kansas Metropolis within the dialog with the 4 dynasties listed above, and Mahomes nonetheless hasn’t turned 30.
You might need Chiefs fatigue at this level, however it’s vital to remind your self you’re witnessing historical past.
Tremendous Bowl LIX: 4 issues to look at for in Kansas Metropolis Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles | NFL.com
2. Mahomes-Kelce magic should be in peak kind
The Chiefs have been content material to win a whole lot of shut video games this season the place the offense did simply sufficient and the protection and particular groups did a whole lot of the heavy lifting. That has began to shift a bit because the season has wound to a detailed.
Patrick Mahomes took over towards the Payments within the AFC title recreation, enjoying one in all his most full video games of the season. He has began utilizing his legs to get him unfastened as a runner and opening up extra prospects as a passer. Mahomes additionally has restricted his turnovers considerably, fumbling final week for his first giveaway in a recreation since mid-November.
This clearly is a priority for Vic Fangio’s protection. It could be nearly as good a unit because the Chiefs have confronted all season, however it’s additionally a unit that has thrived on takeaways — particularly since in regards to the midpoint of the common season — and typically has struggled to comprise cell quarterbacks
The Eagles have defended tight ends nicely, however it’s value noting that Oren Burks (then with the 49ers) had bother staying with Travis Kelce in final yr’s Tremendous Bowl. Burks now has taken over for injured LB Nakobe Dean and is coming off a powerful exhibiting within the NFC Championship Sport, however he’ll have his fingers full with the longer term Corridor of Fame tight finish — and sure will want some assist.
Kelce was held in test towards the Payments, however his Tremendous Bowl observe report is impeccable, catching 31 passes for 350 yards and two scores in his 4 prior championship appearances. The place he’s most harmful is discovering and creating area when Mahomes goes into scramble mode. There are few higher pairs in league historical past at creating improvisational benefits on the fly.
Tom Brady blasts followers who suppose NFL, referees favor Chiefs | Yardbarker
Throughout a Friday look on the “Fox & Buddies” program, legendary quarterback and Fox lead in-game analyst Tom Brady rebuked those that suppose Sunday’s showdown will by some means be “rigged” in favor of Kansas Metropolis.
“I believe it’s simply all BS,” Brady straight mentioned, as Ryan Gaydos of Fox Information Digital shared. “It’s only a bunch of noise. These refs have very difficult jobs to do. I’m very pleased Twitter didn’t exist in the course of the ‘Tuck Rule Sport’ in 2001, let me say that. I’d’ve been on the flawed finish on a whole lot of these. However these refs are on the market attempting to do their perfect.”
After all, Brady was referencing the 2001 AFC divisional playoff recreation that featured the signal-caller shedding management of the soccer late within the contest’s fourth quarter. The play was controversially dominated an incomplete cross after a video evaluation deemed that Brady’s arm was going ahead when he misplaced possession, however he admitted in Might 2022 that “it might need been a fumble.”
Across the NFL
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill ‘loves’ Miami, apologizes for feedback | ESPN
Miami Dolphins vast receiver Tyreek Hill needs to stay in Miami, regardless of his “annoyed” feedback on the finish of the common season that advised in any other case.
Talking to native media after the Dolphins’ season-ending loss to the New York Jets in Week 18, Hill mentioned he would do what’s finest for his profession this offseason “whether or not that’s right here or wherever.” Hill later defined throughout a online game reside stream this month that his feedback got here from a spot of frustration, however confirmed Friday on the “Up & Adams Present” that he needs to stick with the Dolphins.
“I don’t need to go nowhere. I really like [Miami], my household loves it,” Hill mentioned. “It’s an incredible factor, man. We’re actually constructing one thing particular in Miami. We made it to the playoffs the primary two years. Clearly, this yr was laborious. If guys proceed to purchase in, to what coach is constructing and the tradition that he’s attempting to construct, it’s going to be an incredible factor.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pleasure
Chiefs-Eagles Tremendous Bowl LIX: 5 issues to look at
2. The gravity of Saquon Barkley
A key issue for the Chiefs’ protection will likely be how dedicated the scheme and gamers are to sealing run lanes towards Eagles’ working again Saquon Barkley.
This postseason, Barkley has landing runs of 62, 78, and 60 yards. These game-breaking performs enhance a three-game stretch with solely a 34.8% speeding success fee; within the common season, that will’ve ranked thirty fourth amongst certified working backs.
A plan to restrict Barkley’s explosive performs would contain security Justin Reid constantly enjoying nearer to the road of scrimmage. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo may additionally use three-linebacker units that includes linebacker Leo Chenal.
The inside defensive position and linebackers may have a whole lot of duty to interrupt via the wall of blocking. Will probably be more durable to do this on the sting, so search for these defenders to be stout on the bottom and choose their spots to attempt to blow up a run.
