Sorry NFL Fans, The Chiefs Are Going Back To The Super Bowl

The Kansas City Chiefs got a nice gift after their Christmas Day win over the Steelers- the fourth No. 1 seed in the Patrick Mahomes era. What's new? They also became the eighth team in NFL history to win 15+ games in a season and the first since the 2015 Carolina Panthers.

To say the least, the Chiefs have become the subject of fan irritation. Many fans have complained about the refs this year because a lot of calls go Kansas City’s way. They are tired of the massive media coverage surrounding Mahomes, Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift. In no small part due to their tendency to make clutch late game plays combined with their opponent's late game miscues, the Chiefs have tied the 2022 Minnesota Vikings for most one-score wins in an NFL season with 11. You can make an argument that they are a little fraudulent and that they have a lot of flukey wins.

Today I’m here to tell you that, unfortunately and much to the chagrin of non-Chiefs fans everywhere, they're going to win the AFC and be back in the Super Bowl again and here's why.

They Are The Most Trustworthy AFC Team

Look around the AFC. Who do you trust to beat the Chiefs right now? Buffalo and Baltimore? Nope. Buffalo’s defense is too much of a liability and Lamar Jackson has proven himself to be untrustworthy in the postseason. Don't get me started on mediocre Houston and Pittsburgh, both of whom Kansas City has already beaten back to back in a four day span. Denver and the LA Chargers are good teams, but better stories. They are both a year or two away from being in the mix as real AFC contenders.

Simply put, the Chiefs are the most trustworthy team to win the AFC right now.

This Team Is Getting Hot

Kansas City has spent most of the year bailing water on offense. Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice, both key contributors from last year's Super Bowl team, got injured early in the year with Rice being done for the season. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, the speedster wideout whom the team signed last offseason to bolster their receiving corps, suffered a clavicle injury in the preseason and missed most of the regular season. Travis Kelce has continued to decline as his numbers in terms of receiving yards and touchdowns dropped for the second straight year. To solve these issues, the team signed Kareem Hunt and traded for DeAndre Hopkins. They also bolstered their shaky left tackle situation by signing D.J. Humphries.

Fast forward to now and the Chiefs appear to be getting their groove back on offense. Pacheco and Brown are back healthy. The team’s first round choice from the 2024 NFL Draft, wide receiver Xavier Worthy, is now coming into his own as a player. Hopkins has proven to be a solid addition. Kelce’s eight catch, 84 yard game against Pittsburgh is a sign that he will probably be a valuable postseason contributor yet again.

This Chiefs offense when healthy is better than the one that won the Super Bowl last year, which is scary for the rest of the league.

Kansas City was led by their defense last year and it’s once again elite this year, ranking sixth overall. Their best defensive player, Chris Jones, didn't even play against Pittsburgh and they still shellacked them. Pass rusher George Karlaftis, one of their two 2022 first round picks, continues to grow as a player and leads the team with eight sacks. Rookie safety Jaden Hicks leads the team in interceptions with three.

Is A Three-Peat Inevitable?

Not only is everyone in the AFC not named the Chiefs untrustable, is there anyone in the NFC you can trust to beat them?

I don't trust anyone in the NFC North to do so. The Lions have an elite offense but are becoming increasingly banged up defensively. The Vikings are too inconsistent for my liking despite their 14-win record. I like the Packers but I don't know what I will get from Jordan Love in the playoffs, especially with Toyotathon ending on January 6.

I think the Rams will be a tough opponent for anyone in the postseason, but I think their ceiling is the NFC Championship because of how young their defense is.

The only team I can see beating the Chiefs in the Super Bowl is the Philadelphia Eagles, who are two years removed from their 38-35 defeat. Not only is most of their offense from that Super Bowl still intact, but they've also added Saquon Barkley, who is their most dangerous offensive weapon and someone who could give the Chiefs defense actual fits.

The Chiefs really are going to win the AFC again and potentially three-peat, aren't they? Sorry NFL fans, but the Chiefs will likely be heading to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. Chiefs fans, feel free to purchase plane tickets and hotel suites to see your team in the big game yet again, because it's happening.

Serafino Diaz is a writer at Chaotically Intolerant, Phoenix's finest Vikings, Bucks, and Cubs fan, traveling everywhere I can.