The Chiefs might not be in the NFL’s dynasty lounge, but they’re knocking on the door — and loudly.
Patrick Mahomes on Sunday night led Kansas City to a dramatic 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. The 27-year-old was crowned Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his young career, and Andy Reid cemented his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.
Before the game even started, fans were eager to compare Mahomes to Tom Brady, and the Chiefs to the New England Patriots. The debate ramped up a notch moments after Kansas City’s underdog victory.
But just how fair are the Chiefs-Patriots comparisons? Should this discussion even be happening, or is it as pointless as the Travis Kelce-Rob Gronkowski debate?
Well, it depends on what we’re talking about, and what the rules are. If we define dynasties as multiple championships won within the span of a few years, the Chiefs clearly are on New England’s block.
Beginning with the 2018 season, Kansas City has played in five straight AFC Championship Games and visited three Super Bowls in four years, winning two. Mahomes has two league MVPs and two Super Bowl MVPs. The incredible run compares favorably to the two dynasties that bookended Brady’s career in Foxboro, Mass.
From 2001 through 2004, the Patriots played in three conference title games and won three Super Bowls, including back-to-back championships. Brady won Super Bowl MVP twice, and a particularly dominant stretch saw New England rattle off 21 straight victories.
The second dynasty arguably was even better. From 2014 through 2018, the Patriots played in the conference championship game every season and participated in four Super Bowls, winning three. Brady earned one league MVP and two Super Bowl MVPs.
Even the Patriots’ nine-year “slump” was dominant. From 2005 through 20013, New England compiled one perfect regular season, played in two Super Bowls (losing both) and participated in five AFC title games. Brady won two league MVPs and might’ve earned another had he not missed the entire 2008 campaign due to a torn ACL. For all we know, the Patriots would’ve won a Super Bowl that season, too.
So, the Chiefs are right there. Mahomes and Reid need a third Super Bowl title to comfortably sit alongside Brady and Belichick, but there’s at least a good chance they pull it off next season. Kansas City already is listed as the favorite to win Super Bowl LVIII, after all.
However, when people talk about the Patriots dynasty, they aren’t talking about one or the other. They’re talking about a truly dynastic run that lasted two decades.
From the time Brady took over as the full-time starter in 2001 to when he left New England in early 2020, New England ran roughshod over the rest of the NFL.
The Patriots played in nine Super Bowls, winning six. They participated in a staggering 13 conference title games, including eight straight from 2011 through 2018. Along the way, New England went 30-11 in playoff games and experienced zero losing seasons. Brady won three league MVPs and four Super Bowl MVPs.
Those are just the win-loss numbers. Anyone who watched the Patriots during the Brady era knows that many games during those years weren’t even close. New England almost never got blown out.
Consider this: From 2001 through 2019, the Patriots played in 171 games decided by 10 or more points, good for most in the NFL. New England went a stunning 142-29 in those games. Those 29 losses in games decided by 10-plus points were by far the fewest in the league, with the 142 victories easily leading the NFL.
Ultimately, the Chiefs deserve to be compared to either of New England’s two championship dynasties. If Mahomes leads Kansas City to another title in 2023, you’ll be able to make a case that his six-year run will be more impressive than any six-year run put together by Brady and Belichick.
But the Chiefs obviously haven’t come remotely close to replicating the true Patriots dynasty, the one that demoralized and embarrassed competent opponents for nearly 20 years. No team ever will.
