The Kansas City Chiefs are the reigning Super Bowl champions, but can they make it two in a row?
Only seven teams have earned back-to-back titles in the Super Bowl's 54-year history. The last team to do so was the New England Patriots in 2004 and 2005.
The Chiefs are coming off their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, and they haven't slowed down since. Kansas City stormed to a 14-2 record this season, securing a first-round bye in the process.
It takes a special group of athletes to accomplish a feat as rare as consecutive Super Bowl titles. But do the Chiefs have what it takes to be one of those squads?
Here's why the Chief can (or cannot) win the NFL's big game this year:
Can Win The Super Bowl
This team has given us more than one reason to think they can become champions once again.
Patrick Mahomes was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl LIV and proved exactly why this season. In fact, Mahomes is among the favorites to win the NFL's MVP award for the 2020 season.
But the 25-year-old is just one part of the Chiefs' dynamic offense. He's got plenty of versatile weapons to work with across the board, from receivers like Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins to rushers like Le'Veon Bell and Darrel Williams. And let's not forget the impact Travis Kelce continues to have at tight end.
When they're hitting on all cylinders, there's almost no stopping the Chiefs. Even when they stumble, they still manage to put up solid numbers, which could be key down the line as the competition tightens.
Tack on their first-round bye, which will give their stars some extra rest, and you've got the perfect storm for success.
Considering they're coming off a championship season, we're pretty impressed with what we've seen from Kansas City this go-around. It's not often a team puts together two seasons as stellar as these, leaving us to wonder if the Chiefs are on track for yet another title.
Can't Win The Super Bowl
They've got plenty of promise, but the Chiefs certainly are not perfect.
But what exactly could be this team's downfall?
For one, another team simply might play better.
Outside of falling to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17 (during which most of their starters sat out), the Chiefs' only other loss of the season was an eight-point defeat at the hands of the Raiders. Kansas City exacted revenge on Las Vegas five weeks later, though Jon Gruden and Co. played them close for a second time.
Luckily for the Chiefs, the Raiders and Chargers are out of the playoffs. But there's still some stiff competition left in the AFC, and it'll only be tougher come the second round.
If the Chiefs face any issues, it likely will be with their defense. They haven't looked terrible per se, but it appears to be the biggest potential roadblock under their control.
Kansas City has been involved in its fair share of high-scoring games this season. And while the team wound up on top most of the time, its defense regularly allowed opposing teams to put up 20-plus points (sans teams like the New England Patriots and New York Jets, of course).
Keeping their opponents' point totals down will be critical for the Chiefs this postseason. Fail, and their hopes of back-to-back Super Bowl titles could be in serious trouble.
The road to the Super Bowl will be tough, but the big game itself should be even tougher. There's still some considerable talent left in the NFC, too, making it all the more difficult to capture that elusive championship.
All the Chiefs have to do is refrain from being their own worst enemy. Do that, and the Lombardi Trophy is within reach.
