Exactly four years ago, the Chiefs and 49ers faced off in the Super Bowl, with Quebec having its eyes on Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Here the two opponents meet again and for the recently retired NFL guard, it is a flashback that revives precious memories.
On the phone, Duvernay-Tardif assures that this highly publicized week in the run-up to the big match in Las Vegas has not bothered him. Fulfilled in his post-career off the field, he continues to follow the Chiefs, with whom he played from 2014 to 2021.
“I watch the Chiefs and a few other games that join me because I have old teammates that play elsewhere. The Chiefs are still the reason I stay connected to my screen.”
“It’s funny because they won the Super Bowl last year, but I was still playing with the Jets and there was something different. This time around, I’m a lot more excited, especially when I look at how the guys played in the playoffs compared to the season. They were able to find their synchrony. Of course I’m happy for them,” he noted.
The times have changed
The relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has created a media phenomenon within the Chiefs.
Photo from the Patrick Smith archives / Getty Images via AFP
So it’s a rematch for the Chiefs and the 49ers, but times have changed. On both sides, only 12 starters from the Super Bowl from four years ago remain on the job.
Since their triumph in February 2020, the Chiefs have become the sensation of the NFL. The Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are visible everywhere in the commercials and obviously, the romance between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has propelled the team into an unimaginable media stratosphere.
“We built the Chiefs culture brick by brick. There was a natural progression. It’s not negative to say that, but today’s team is much more anchored in star system that she already was. “It’s crazy that a team from a modest town in the American Midwest has become so central to the NFL ecosystem,” notes “LDT”.
A special week
Having experienced the frenzy of the Super Bowl in Miami, Duvernay-Tardif knows very well what his teammates went through this week in a city that also has its attractions in Las Vegas.
“It’s a week where there are a lot of possible pitfalls. There are also a lot of parallels between Miami and Las Vegas. I remember wondering at the beginning of the week four years ago. I said to myself: Monday and Tuesday, I’m off, am I supposed to enjoy life a minimum?
“It was a discussion for several players. There were guys who just wanted to unwind a little and others who really wanted to stay focus. You want to have fun and enjoy without going crazy. We’re being scrutinized and you don’t want to be the one who gets their picture taken with a drink and gives away three quarter bags! From Wednesday onwards, I remember that it felt good to start again in a more rigid framework. I felt good to find my bearings,” he recalls.
Still behind the Chiefs
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif knows well the propensity of quarterback Patrick Mahomes to perform miracles.
Photo AFP
Obviously, no one will be surprised to read that Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a proud Chief through and through, favors his former team to win the 58e Super Bowl.
For him, the calm of Patrick Mahomes and his gang in critical moments will make the difference. He wouldn’t be surprised if a scenario similar to 2020, when the Chiefs closed a 10-point gap in the fourth quarter, repeats itself.
“I still remember when we were trailing, then we scored a touchdown and we were trailing again. Despite everything, we looked at each other in the eyes and everyone knew that we were going to win this match.
“You looked at the 49ers from the other side and there was starting to be division and tempers were heating up. To me, that’s what the Chiefs are all about. They find a way. Both teams are extremely talented, but there is going to be a moment in the game that will create doubt for the 49ers and that will be tough to overcome because of what the Chiefs are in terms of experience and resilience. -he.
If this scenario comes to fruition, the Chiefs will become the first team since the Patriots of 2003 and 2004 to win the Super Bowl in back-to-back years. It is a feat of arms that has been achieved eight times in the history of the ultimate match.
SUPER BOWL REVENGE MATCHES
Dallas vs. Pittsburgh
Super Bowl X (January 18, 1976): Steelers 21 Cowboys 17
Super Bowl XIII (January 21, 1979): Steelers 35 Cowboys 31
Super Bowl XXX (January 28, 1996): Cowboys 27 Steelers 17
Washington vs. Miami
Super Bowl VII (January 14, 1973): Dolphins 14 Redskins 7
Super Bowl XVII (January 30, 1983): Redskins 27 Dolphins 17
San Francisco vs. Cincinnati
Super Bowl XVI (January 24, 1982): 49ers 26 Bengals 21
Super Bowl XXIII (January 22, 1989): 49ers 20 Bengals 16
Dallas vs. Buffalo
Super Bowl XXVII (January 31, 1993): Cowboys 52 Bills 17
Super Bowl XXVIII (January 30, 1994): Cowboys 30 Bills 13
New York vs. New England
Super Bowl WLII (February 3, 2008): Giants 17 Patriots 14
Super Bowl XLVI (February 5, 2012): Giants 21 Patriots 17
Philadelphia vs. New England
Super Bowl XXXIX (February 6, 2005): Patriots 24 Eagles 21
Super Bowl LII (February 4, 2018): Eagles 41 Patriots 33
San Francisco vs. Kansas City
Super Bowl LV (February 2, 2020): Chiefs 31 49ers 20
Super Bowl LVIII (February 11, 2024): TBD