Fifty years removed from their only Super Bowl title, the Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in a new position. Role of Super Bowl favorites.
Mitchell Schwartz understands the position his Kansas City Chiefs are in.
Less than eight months ago, the Chiefs were going to the Super Bowl. Until they weren’t. Dee Ford lined up in the neutral zone, the defense never got another stop, and the New England Patriots celebrated at Arrowhead Stadium.
“On the whole it feels like at some point you have to beat New England to get to the Super Bowl in the AFC,” Schwartz told FanSided. “That’s how it’ll be as long as that head coach and quarterback are there.”
Schwartz says he moved on emotionally within a week, save for watching the Super Bowl. The same game which for the first time, Vegas made the Chiefs preseason favorites favored to win. They share the best odds at 6/1 … alongside the Patriots.
Favorites. Kansas City. Odd pairing.
All of this leads into a central theme. If the Chiefs don’t win the Super Bowl — or at a bare minimum, reach it — 2019 is a failure. The regular season feels a mere prelude to the actual matter of moments worth remembering.
For decades, Kansas City hopes to play in January and have the stars align. Now, the Chiefs and their Kingdom are out to erase the painful memories of playoffs past, all while carrying the expectations of a starving city.
In past years, a missed opportunity would have felt an impossible stain to wash out. Now, with the emergence of 23-year-old MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the vibe is one of eager redemption.
“Going into last year, we thought Pat could be good but nobody thought 50 touchdowns and 5,000 yards right away,” Schwartz said. “He had a huge breakout year. How much better he can get? And the cool thing is he’s accountable. He’s doesn’t rest on his laurels. He’s the most competitive dude ever.”
Mahomes is not only brilliant, he’s surrounded by cast members who can accentuate his considerable gifts. Tyreek Hill is the game’s most electrifying playmaker. Travis Kelce is the game’s best tight end. Sammy Watkins is arguably the best third option in the NFL. The offensive line is loaded, led by a Pro Bowl left tackle in Eric Fisher and the league’s best right tackle in Schwartz.
Keeping this kind of roster together is going to be a challenge. In fact, it’s impossible long-term. Missing out on a ring with this collection of players would be crushing.
“Failure is a strong word, but (winning the Super Bowl) is the expectation and we would be extremely disappointed,” Schwartz opined. “Especially with how the cap situation works. We have the quarterback locked in. After this year potentially he could sign a massive deal.”
Beyond all the offensive talent, there’s Andy Reid. Reid, 61, is entering his 21st year as a head coach and his seventh with the Chiefs. Nobody designs better offensive schemes. Yet for all his talents, Reid has only reached a single Super Bowl and remains without that elusive championship. With it, he’s a surefire Hall of Famer. Without it, he’s a great coach who came up short.
Despite going 12-4 and winning its third consecutive division title, the defense was a mess. In response, general manager Brett Veach was aggressive in remaking the unit. Gone are outside linebackers Dee Ford and Justin Houston, and cornerback Steven Nelson. In are safeties Juan Thornhill and Tyrann Mathieu, defensive ends Frank Clark, Emmanuel Ogbah and Alex Okafor, corner Bashaud Breeland and linebackers Darron Lee and Damien Wilson.
Most importantly, the Chiefs also hired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his 4-3 scheme to replace the static looks of Bob Sutton and his 3-4 alignment. With Spagnuolo, Kansas City believes it will have a more dynamic defense with disguised looks and exotic blitzes.
Ultimately, no Chiefs team has been this well-positioned to win the Super Bowl. The core players are all in their primes. The coaching staff is unarguably elite. The conference is strong, but without any clearly superior foe.
In a few days, Kansas City embarks on its most-anticipated season in some time if not ever.