
Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs rode their franchise-best 15-2 regular season record into Super Bowl LVIII, where they faced the Philadelphia Eagles with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Having won the previous two Super Bowls, the Chiefs were the hunted, not the hunters. They had the opportunity to etch their names in history by becoming the first NFL team to win three Super Bowls in a row.
However, when the dust settled, the Chiefs suffered a humbling 40-22 defeat, leaving fans reeling. The Eagles outclassed them from start to finish, making the loss sting even more after such a dominant run. For a team at the pinnacle, that fall was hard to swallow. Now, with a new season on the horizon, the focus is on learning from it.
Mahomes Reflects: Pressure Took the Fun Out of the Game
With Training Camp set to kick off on July 21 at Missouri Western State University for both rookies and veterans, the Chiefs are turning last season’s disappointment into fuel. During a recent appearance on Up and Adams with Kay Adams, superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes peeled back the curtain on what went wrong before the Super Bowl loss. “It’s always been a blast playing for the Chiefs-that’s what makes it special,”Mahomes told Adams.
“But last year, I wouldn’t call it pressure, though it felt like the guys were out there trying to win every week not for the love of it, but because they felt they had to.” He’s spot-on-most games were nail-biters, a far cry from the commanding style of past seasons, and the burden of being back-to-back champs loomed large all year.
Injuries also took a toll, robbing fans of the explosive plays Mahomes was known for early on, and despite reaching the Super Bowl, the offense never hit its stride as it could have.
Can Mahomes Lead a Chiefs Comeback?
As he heads into his eighth year as the starter, Mahomes’ recent decline has been hard to ignore. The Chiefs have struggled with a shaky offensive line, injuries to receivers, and a noticeable decline in performance from Travis Kelce. Mahomes himself looked human, posting career lows with 26 touchdown passes, 6.8 yards per attempt, and 245.5 passing yards per game. Meanwhile, the team ranked 15th in scoring, their weakest finish since the Alex Smith era and matching their 2023 result.
However, with a retooled offensive line and healthier playmakers, a return to form-think 5,000 yards and 35-plus touchdowns-is within reach. Could this be the year the Chiefs join the Buffalo Bills (1990-1993) as the second team to reach four consecutive Super Bowls, despite those four losses? Or will they challenge the Tom Brady Patriots’ eight-year conference title streak from 2011 to 2018? At the very least, a tenth consecutive AFC West title seems likely, closing in on the Patriots’ 11-year record, if Mahomes can reclaim his magic.
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