Patriot Nation loathes the idea that anyone could possibly surpass the Patriots' Dynasty and their
dynastic superhero, Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl wins (six in New England). Well, there is someone and another team that might. Of course, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patriots fans need to get used to the fact that the greatest dynasty is at risk of falling in a few years and that the GOAT of quarterbacks is at risk of being overtaken, as well. As they say in Foxborough, it is what it is (or at least, what it may be).
Here, we’ll explore how and why the KC Chiefs have the wherewithal to do the improbable and dethrone the New England Patriots as the top-of-the-hill, NFL all-time champions.
First, the Chiefs have an all-purpose Quarterback who does things Brady couldn’t
Now, that headline is heretical to Patriot Nation. No one is capable of equaling
what TB12 did for the Patriots. At least, that's what citizens of Patriot Nation thought was an absolute certainty. Unfortunately, we have to think again. It ain't necessarily so.
Patrick Mahomes is the antithesis of what Tom Brady was as a quarterback. That’s not to
say anything Brady did was anything but otherworldly exceptional. Brady was the archetypal drop-back passer, with a Dan Marino-like ability to side-step pass-rushers and complete passes all over the field. Much of the time it was to inferior receivers. That's what's termed magnificent.
Yet, Mahomes' different approach works equally well. He throws on the run, off his back foot, front foot, off-balance, on-balance, and gets completions. He’s a magician with a football in his hands and gets the ball to an open receiver anytime, anywhere on the field. That's his brilliance and why he has a chance.
Kansas City's personnel management might be the difference maker
The team's personnel management is the second main reason Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs can beat the Patriots Super Bowl record run. He has an organization whose top priority is to provide him with the requisite pieces to win. For most of his seasons in Foxborough, Brady didn't. That's another reason why Mahomes may have an edge.
The Chiefs' organization seems to appreciate these facts. They know they have a fantastic quarterback who can execute any play in the book. Accordingly, they realize they must provide him with a top offensive line every season to allow him to succeed.
Third, they realize that Mahomes needs top wide receivers and a top tight end as targets for his passes each year. For far too many years, de facto Patriot's GM Bill Belichick neglected this imperative for Brady. The result was the Patriots leaving a half dozen, or maybe even more Super Bowl titles on the table, Lombardi's that could have/should have been won.
Therein is another difference between the Patriots’ dynasty and the Chiefs. Brady had Randy Moss,
essentially for a year, along with Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker, and Julian Edelman. But Mahomes has had much better.
Not only has he had Travis Kelce, now in his twelfth year in KC (the last seven of which were with starter Mahomes), a tight end to rival Gronk, but also had Tyreek Hill, a game-breaker, for six years before he moved on to Miami. Brady had a game-breaking receiver, Randy Moss for one year. He had no others.
This season, Mahomes has tight ends, Kelce and Noah Grey, wide receivers Deandre Hopkins, and rookie 28th pick in the first round, Xavier Worthy, who ran a blistering 4.21, 40-yard dash at the combine (similar to Pats draftee, Tyquan Thornton in 2022). Yet, Worthy can get open and catch the ball.
The moral of the story is that the Chiefs provide the goods for Mahomes. Yet, whoever is on hand, like Brady, this phenom continues to excel, makes them better, and wins. The Chiefs are 13-1 after week 15 atop the AFC West, as the Brady-led Pats were always atop the AFC East.
This is not a nice story for Patriot Nation if you’re concerned with posterity. The Chiefs are on their way to their fourth Super Bowl win since 2020 with Mahomes at QB. Expect it, and, absent major injuries, a three-peat looks a certainty, something never accomplished by the Brady-led Pats.
The worst aspect is that Mahomes won’t be 30 until next September. Lots more Super Bowls await this fantastic player. For Patriot Nation, it is what it is: depressing. And the worst part is that the Brady-led Patriots could have/should have won a dozen or more titles if they'd had any personnel acumen at all. That may be the worst pill to swallow of all.