The Chiefs' mental edge on their competition is mounting
 

Thought about this a few times since LVIII and figured I'd get the words out on here...

I said it after SB LIV - winning that one would make it easier for us to win more in the future. It took such a load of pressure off Mahomes and Andy. Free forever from any "they can't win the big one" narratives. But even then, I'm not sure I expected to already see two more SB wins in just four seasons.

Now after bagging three total... I think with each one, the next one gets even more likely to occur than the prior. Call it inevitability or self-fulfilling prophecy if you want. The way these championships are motivating the key figures to keep pushing - Reid can actually see a path to six Super Bowl wins now. Mahomes can see the path to seven. The entire roster can taste the opportunity to three-peat and be arguably the greatest team ever.

You're starting to see some of the opposing fan bases almost submit to their expectations of failure, too. If/when franchises like Buffalo or San Francisco enter another playoff game against Kansas City... the expectation is going to be a heartbreaking loss. Even if they don't say it out loud - they've seen it and felt it enough times already.

And none of this guarantees Kansas City anything of course. Winning SBs will always be hard, and New England obviously went a decade without winning one between dynasties. But they didn't have the greatest quarterback ever through six seasons who any time he takes the field to win a game late, that game clinching score feels totally inevitable.

Gonna be fascinating to watch in the years ahead. Are the Chiefs that much more confident and loose because they keep winning these big games? Is the competition that much more anxious and in a "play not to lose" mindset because beating Kansas City in playoff games feels more miraculous nowadays than achievable?

Or am I just an ignorant homer? ;)

Possibly but New England went ages till they got that 4th

Chiefs have played 4 extremely close games against the Bengals in the 2021 and 2022 seasons when Burrow was available. All 4 games were decided by a field goal, and the Bengals won 3 of the 4 matchups. I would expect future games with Cincy to be a toss-up.

Buffalo has won quite a few regular season games against the Chiefs, and their 2 most recent Playoff losses against KC have come down to the wire. I don't think the Chiefs have a big mental edge on either Cincy or Buffalo.

No, you are not an ignorant homer.

I hate to compare Mahomes to Elway. But, IMO, the same forces of fear are at work.

Think about the number of times any team was up on Elway in the 4th, then lose.
Nerves take over. Adrenaline fills the blood. Dopamine is high.

WE ARE GOING TO BEAT ELWAY AND DENVER!!!!

Then BOOM!!! Bad decisions abound. And Elway crushes you.

Lets substitute Elway for Mahomes.

Think about the number of times any team was up 10 on Mahomes at anytime, then lose.
Nerves take over. Adrenaline fills the blood. Dopamine is high.

WE ARE GOING TO BEAT MAHOMES AND KC!!!

Then BOOM!!! Bad decisions abound. And Mahomes magic crushes you.

Down 10? No problem. Mahomes got this.

You can see it in his eyes and the fear on souls of opposing teams. Offenses fold. Defenses fail miserably. Men turn to boys. The feeling of death takes over. You lose.


It is the Mahomes effect in full force. And it will continue to get greater and greater

True, but they still had 5 AFC championship apperances, 2 SB appearances and won the division all but the Cassel year in that stretch so it's not like the window ever closed.

The biggest thing for me is playoff experience for young guys.

That is so hard to come by and we just keep stacking that now.

The Ravens had almost zero experience playing in an AFC Championship against a team of this caliber and it showed.

Everyone says the playoffs are a different speed and the entire roster knows that speed now. Very likely our next playoff opponent won't have a roster that's been steeped in the playoffs.

You could almost feel San Fran changing how they played because they knew what was coming. After the MVS touchdown they played a little panicked.

We'll get the WR's figured out. That's all it was last. Also we've been very blessed with health overall. SB55 was really the only season lost due to insurmountable injuries .

Romo made a good point throughout the Super Bowl about the “Mystique of Mahomes” and the pressure that puts on the opposing team since a comeback will inevitably happen during the course of a game.

The exact same thing happened with the Bulls and the only thing that stopped it was Jordan retiring and their GM being an idiot.

And the thing that slowed down a lot of dynasties...fatigue....doesn't appear to be happening here.

There are books written about the 49ers where by 1990 they were just ****ing spent from playing so many playoff games, and Terry Bradshaw said the Chiefs looked "tired" midway through this season.

And then they go and find the fountain of youth. LMAO

Whether that has something to do with modern training staffs, Reid's load management or roster turnover...who knows. :)

That Bengals team had Burrow, Chase, and Higgins on rookie deals. Had built a great defense through free agency because of it.

Burrow is gonna have to show he's healthy and his normal self again before I give too much credit to them.

Houston is the team set up to replicate what Cincinnati did a couple years ago with their roster build. They're a more likely threat this year IMHO.

I thought Kittle's entire Mic'd Up segment was really telling. He was totally different than during the first SB. Sounded like a guy just waiting for the knife to go through his chest already.

And Bosa: "This is not fun."

Trent Williams calling the qb keeper on 4th and 1 went to complete defeat when Mahomes picked up the first with yards to spare.

The mystique is real. It's fun to watch it happen from the other side.