Travis Kelce is at his best at the Super Bowl after the confetti cannons have fired their contents and the Lombardi Trophy is smeared with fingerprints and kiss marks.
That’s when he can look at the camera with narrowed eyes and warn anyone who doesn’t believe in them to never count the Kansas City Chiefs out for defeat.
Maybe now everyone will start listening.
After the Chiefs came from behind to defeat the 49ers of San Francisco 25-22 in overtime and become the first NFL team to win back-to-back titles in nearly 20 years – and the first to win back-to-back Super Bowls as an underdog – Kelce was quick to point out that no one ‘s full in KC
“The goal was always to win three,” Kelce shouted. And look at this: we now have the chance to win three in a row. »
The prognosticators already estimate that the chances of the 49ers are better to win the title next year, in New Orleans, than for Kelce and the Chiefs to add another Lombardi to their already well-stocked mantelpiece.
After all, none of the previous seven teams to win back-to-back titles have managed to reach the grand final to attempt the treble.
The Chiefs don’t mind being such underdogs in this aspect.
To win the fourth title in franchise history, they had to beat Buffalo, Baltimore and San Francisco, all favorite clubs, after defeating the Miami Dolphins in the first weekend of the playoffs.
The Chiefs traded wide receiver Tyreek Hill two years ago, which was supposed to herald a rebuilding phase. Instead, the team overcame all odds to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl last year.
Kelce then delivered a first warning message.
None of you predicted we were going to win this season. Not a single one, he said as Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl MVP then and Sunday, looked at him smiling. Next time the Chiefs say something, respect us more. »
For most of the season, it looked like Kelce was going to make a mistake. Mahomes’ passes kept being dropped by his receivers. His offensive line continued to receive costly penalties. The Chiefs have lost five of their eight games decided by one point and suffered their first loss in Denver since 2015.
Like all champions, the Chiefs struggled to retain their core last year. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has signed a lucrative contract with rivals Cincinnati. On the other side of center, Andrew Wylie left for Washington. They were replaced by Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor, who proved to be lesser quality players.
JuJu Smith-Schuster fled to the Patriots and Mecole Hardman went to join the Jets, but when Mahomes’ receivers started dropping too many balls, the Chiefs brought him back. He finally caught the winning pass in overtime.
The Chiefs entered the playoffs as the third seed in the American. They won in Buffalo and Baltimore, Mahomes’ first overseas playoff games, and arrived at the Super Bowl as 2.5-point underdogs.
After defying those predictions, they are now talking about a third title.
Winning three consecutive titles has become the pinnacle of sporting achievement. The NHL hasn’t seen anyone accomplish the feat since the New York Islanders in the early 1980s. The Los Angeles Lakers did it from 2000 to 2002, shortly after the New York Yankees won the World Series from 1998 to 2000.
No NFL team has come close to these dynasties.
Seven have the opportunity to do so, including the Pittsburgh Steelers twice.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers won three titles from 1965 to 1967, the last two of which later became Super Bowls I and II. Phil Bengtson replaced Vince Lombardi in 1968 and led the club to a 6-7-1 record, beginning three decades of mediocrity before the arrival of Reggie White, LeRoy Butler and Brett Favre in the 1990s.
Miami Dolphins
Don Shula’s 1972 team was the only team in history to win all 17 games, a season capped by a 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl. After defeating the Minnesota Vikings the following year, the Dolphins’ dynasty ended with a 28-26 loss to the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 1974 playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Terry Bradshaw and the “Iron Curtain” won four Super Bowls in six years, but never had a real chance of winning three in a row. The Raiders beat them 24-7 in the American championship after the 1976 season and they didn’t even make the playoffs in 1980, after their second double.
49ers from San Francisco
After winning his third and fourth Super Bowls by defeating the Bengals and the Broncos, Joe Montana seemed on his way to winning a third consecutive title. But the Niners lost 15-13 to the Giants on Matt Bahr’s 42-yard field goal in the final seconds of the 1990 NL championship game.
Dallas Cowboys
Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones parted ways after beating the Bills for a second straight Super Bowl in 1992 and 1993. Barry Switzer would help Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith win one more title, but not before a 38-28 defeat at the hands of the 49ers in the National championship of the 1994 season.
Denver Broncos
John Elway retired after two consecutive victories in the late 1990s. Then Terrell Davis blew out his knee in 1999 and the Broncos finished the season 6-10 after going 46-10 in the three previous campaigns.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady won his first 10 playoff games, including three Super Bowls, two of them in a row. That perfect streak ended in Denver in 2005, on Champ Bailey’s 100-yard interception return in the Broncos’ 27-13 victory. Brady won’t win another Super Bowl for 10 years.