40 Patriots-Related Thoughts Ahead Of Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl LIX

As Super Bowl LIX nears, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles preparing to do battle, one can’t help but think of the legendary country music band Lonestar when reflecting on how the Patriots should view the NFL’s title game.

Lonestar had a relatively unheralded single release in 2005 titled “Class Reunion.” The song is about, unsurprisingly, a high-school reunion. However, the chorus starts “That used to be us, we used to be cool,” a line that should hit painfully close to home for Patriots fans watching the Super Bowl these days.

And while the glory days have since passed in New England, there’s renewed hope for a return to glory amid a pivotal offseason. As that gets put on the back burner for The Big Game on Sunday, here are 40 Patriots-related Super Bowl thoughts to chew on.

(Why 40, you ask? Because we were gonna do 59, but that’s just too many thoughts, man.)

1. No matter what happens Sunday, the Patriots’ dynasty is safe. Six is greater than four, and while a Chiefs three-peat would be unprecedented, there’s still separation between the two franchises.

2. Similarly, Patrick Mahomes is a long way behind Tom Brady. Just don’t forget this: At 41 and again at 44, Brady’s teams knocked out the Chiefs on the way to titles. Insane.

3. A win Sunday would be Andy Reid’s 302nd of his career, including the playoffs; that would match Bill Belicick’s regular-season win total.

4. Former Patriots offensive lineman Joe Thuney is trying to win his fourth Super Bowl in nine seasons. Already a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, another ring could put him among the future Hall of Famers in this game.

5. Thuney’s versatility — he’s kicked out to left tackle — is a huge reason KC is still dancing.

6. Speaking of ex-Patriots: The Chiefs have a bunch of ’em, as expert troll and Boston Globe reporter Ben Volin pointed out this week.

7. Looking to potentially return the favor, NESN.com’s Keagan Stiefel circled six Chiefs who could be Patriots next season.

8. The most sensical of that group might be edge rusher Charles Omenihu, who has been productive when healthy.

9. DeAndre Hopkins also made that list, and while he might not make sense for the Patriots, it would benefit New England to grab a veteran wideout in that mold to help Drake Maye’s progression.

10. Speaking of progression, in Mahomes’ second full season as starter, KC won the Super Bowl. In Jalen Hurts’ second full season, the Eagles went to the Super Bowl.

11. This is a good read comparing the Patriots and Chiefs dynasties from The Ringer. Will KC ever get as hated as New England was?

12. How much different would the Patriots-Chiefs conversation be if Dee Ford wasn’t offside, though?

13. Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie is already elite. KC drafted him at No. 21 overall in 2022 — a pick the Chiefs got from the Patriots, who traded down … and drafted Cole Strange at No. 29.

14. That same night, the Eagles traded No. 18 and a third-round pick to Mike Vrabel’s Titans for A.J. Brown.

15. A win Sunday would be the Chiefs’ 10th straight playoff victory, tying the Patriots’ record.

16. After Sunday, Andy Reid will have coached the most playoff games in NFL history, surpassing Bill Belichick.

17. Debating Rob Gronkowski vs. Travis Kelce is dumb. They basically play different positions.

18. The Eagles have had one losing season since beating the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. New England has four and is a combined 56-60 in the regular season since.

19. If the Patriots can build an offensive line half as good as Philly’s they’ll take a giant step forward.

20. Even more impressive: Philly only used one of its own first-round picks to build this offensive line.

21. Saquon Barkley has led the running back resurgence. If the Patriots want to go down that path, it will take some creativity. The market for backs is bleak.

22. Saquon Barkley has 442 rushing yards through three playoff games. That would rank fourth on the Patriots’ all-time playoff rushing list, and he’d presumably jump Antowain Smith (456) and LeGarrette Blount (470) with a pedestrian Super Bowl appearance.

23. If things at all go south with A.J. Brown, the Patriots absolutely should call and see if a Vrabel reunion is on the table.

24. To that point, NESN.com’s Sean McGuire looked at four Eagles who could be Patriots offseason targets.

25. Pro Football Focus called the Eagles’ secondary “elite” with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. The Patriots already have Christian Gonzalez and might be their own Mitchell away from having a similar claim.

34. Coincidentally, the stats say the ’03 Patriots are a good comp for the 2024 Chiefs, Mahomes aside. There are some 2016 vibes, without as much offensive firepower.

35. The best player to play for both the Patriots and Eagles has to be … Irving Fryar, right?

36. The best player to play for both the Patriots and Chiefs is a little closer. Vrabel is in the mix, as is Ty Law, and of course, Thuney.

37. Shout-out D3 football. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is a Springfield College (Mass.) alum, and Nick Sirianni played his college ball for 13-time national champion Mount Union (Ohio). Somewhere, is Bill Belichick, who lettered in football (and lacrosse and squash) at Wesleyan.

38. In case you haven’t heard, Tom Brady will be on the call for FOX. Brady’s first season in the booth was so-so, but he typically rises to the occasion in the Super Bowl, no? Doing so Sunday would change a lot of minds about his broadcasting chops.

39. It should help that the NFL made a temporary rule change that should help Brady, and the New Orleans symmetry for Brady is also hard to ignore.

40. The pick: Chiefs 27-20, with Kelce winning MVP behind a Gronk-like performance, Mahomes narrowing the gap on Brady, and Reid speeding up Belichick’s return to the NFL. Check out our staff picks here.