The Chiefs are now 2-3 in the big game after beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. Find out how they made it to the SB, with analysis on who and what made the difference throughout the year.
Patrick Mahomes managed to lead his team to a third Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl appearance since the 2019 season during the last campaign.
The Chiefs dominated the AFC West division over the regular season, and despite some struggles in the two rounds leading up to the final one, the Chiefs saw it all through and took home the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Discover how KC made it to Super Bowl LVII, with analysis on their regular season, how both the offensive and defensive units contributed to their success, their key players across the year, and the keys to their success in the big game.
Overview of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl Run
If it wasn’t realised before this year, the 2022 season has surely solidified the Chiefs’ place as the top team in the league at the moment. Built around Mahomes and his ludicrous ability, the Chiefs are one of the most unstoppable teams every week.
They walked the AFC West this season, finishing with a 14-3 overall record and 6-0 in their division.
However, the Playoffs were not the most plain sailing. The Wildcard round against the Jacksonville Jaguars provided a challenge, with Mahomes almost being taken out of the game with an injury to his right ankle.
Thankfully, his x-rays came back negative and he was able to continue. He repaid the faith head coach Andy Reid had in him to keep him in the game with a closeout 75 yard play that ended in a vital touchdown.
The AFC Championship game was even closer, and could have gone the other way if it weren’t for what may have been Mahomes’ best performance of his career against the Buffalo Bills.
Despite still suffering from his obviously injured right ankle, he threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns on 67.4% pass completion. He also set up the game winning field goal, running for five yards and taking a hit that was deemed to be roughing the passer to get a 15 yard penalty, providing a 45 yard field goal that was converted to win the game 23-20.
With that, they headed into the Super Bowl as the slight underdogs, after Philadelphia’s commanding victory in the NFC Championship game over the San Francisco 49ers.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Superb Super Bowl Performance
The Chiefs went into the game as the slight underdogs, which seems crazy considering they are a Patrick mahomes-led, Andy Reid coached side who are becoming serial Super Bowl attendees.
The first half didn’t go their way as they went into the break down 24-14. However, the second half saw a big swing, specifically in the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs scored 24 points themselves to the Eagles’ 11.
It took a 27-yard field goal by kicker Harrison Butker to win them the game with eight seconds left, but it was a full team effort that brought them to that point.
In terms of team performance, Kansas were in top form. They equaled numerous impressive Super Bowl records, such as fewest times sacked (0), and fewest turnovers (0).
Up against one of the best defences in the league during the season, the Chiefs managed to handle the Eagles, holding them back from getting to Mahomes with zero sacks in the game.
Patrick Mahomes-Powered Offence
Patrick Mahomes is favourite to win NFL MVP honours for the second time in his career, and it would be no surprise to see him take home the award after the season he has had.
The pro bowl quarterback led the league in almost every major statistic that a QB should want to lead in; passing yards (5,250), passing yards per game (308.8), passing touchdowns (41), and QB rating (77.5). He also finished second for passer rating (105.2), behind Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins (105.5).
During the Super Bowl, at one point during the first half, Mahomes looked to have re-aggravated his ankle injury and looked to be playing somewhat gingerly. He was able to carry on though, and the second half proved to be a big one for him.
He had a very efficient game, with only 182 yards off 21/27 passing (77.8%) and three touchdowns. This gave him a 131.8 QB rating, his third-best rating of the year.
Of course, it takes a whole team to win, and Mahomes had a brilliant supporting cast in his offensive line.
Tight end Travis Kelce has been his go-to receiver since Mahomes got the starting QB. This season saw Kelce finish with a strong 72.4% receptions-to-targets ratio, and as such came away with the second most receiving touchdowns in the league (12).
While the Chiefs are a passing-focused team, they can rely on their run game when needed. Isiah Pacheco was their go-to running back, picking up 830 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Mahomes is more than capable on his feet, too. 358 yards and four rushing touchdowns may not bring comparisons with Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, but it isn’t anything to be ashamed of by any means.
The Defensive Stars
The Chiefs are strong on offence, but that’s not to say that their defence isn’t any good. They still boast a strong D-line, with Chris Jones making the Pro Bowl as a starter.
Defensive tackle Jones has played his whole career with KC, being drafted back in 2016. He played his role in their 2019 Super Bowl LIV victory, but this season he had a career year.
He finished with the most combined tackles in his career, adding 15.5 sacks to his stat sheet as well, the fourth most in the league.
Two forced fumbles and one fumble return helped his argument to give him the nod for his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.
Nick Bolton was another star for the Chiefs this season. The linebacker finished the year with the second most total tackles (180), solo tackles (108), and assisted tackles (72). This ended up being a new franchise record for most tackles in a season.
Despite this, the second-year player was not selected for the Pro Bowl or for the All-Pro team. However, if he can continue on this level, it will be hard not to pick him in the future.
While the defence wasn't completely able to keep the Eagles scoring to a minimum in the Super Bowl, they did get a few big stops, including two sacks and one fumble return for a touchdown.
How to Win the Super Bowl: A Team Effort
Making it to the big game is one thing, but winning the Super Bowl is the biggest challenge of all.
The Chiefs worked hard through the season to get themselves into this position, and now they find themselves as Super Bowl champions once again.
The game that played out with the Eagles turned out to be one of the best Super Bowl’s in history.
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