Ridiculous stat proves Chiefs are the ultimate underdogs

For every NFL dynasty, there are certain stats that illustrate just how great they really are. The Patriots in the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era won 81 consecutive home games when holding a lead at halftime. When the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in four years during the '90s, they went 10-1 in the playoffs, and every win was by double digits. During the Steelers' dominant run over 40 years ago in which they won four Super Bowls, they had an unbelievable eight consecutive years in which they had eight players on the roster and a head coach who would all go on to make the Hall of Fame.

The Chiefs have their own stat that separates them from the rest, and it's a doozy.

The moral of the story: never count out Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs

The way the NFL is set up encourages parity. The worst teams get the best draft picks, and the salary cap ensures that it's impossible to keep great teams together as their young players become eligible for bigger contracts. Somehow, the Chiefs have defied the odds to win three Super Bowls in five years, and they've done it by never giving up, even when faced with tremendous playoff adversity.

49ers fans will be crying into their Rice-a-Roni when they realize that twice in the last five years they've had double-digit leads in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, and both times Patrick Mahomes has found a way to break their hearts. If there's any solace to be had for the San Francisco Faithful, at least they're not alone in being victimized by Kansas City's late-game wizardry.

Mahomes obviously deserves much of the credit for stealing victory from the jaws of defeat, as his ridiculous ratio of 41 touchdowns to eight interceptions in his playoff career is mind-boggling. So too, is his clutch gene, which was seemingly enhanced beyond previously acceptable limits at Vought International (imagining Mahomes as a rocket-armed, frog-voiced version of Homelander from The Boys is surprisingly fun).

Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker also deserves a shout-out for his postseason performance. The sure-footed righty has made 88.9% of his playoff field goals, including last year's Super Bowl-winning kick against the Eagles and the longest field goal in Super Bowl history against the Niners on Sunday, a 57-yarder to get the Chiefs to within four points. Butker has been a stone-cold assassin with the Chiefs' season on the line, with a clutch kick to send the infamous "13 seconds" game into overtime against the Bills in the 2021 AFC Divisional Round, plus a half dozen other makes to tie or win the game late when it mattered most.

The Chiefs were underdogs in their final three playoff games this season, yet still found a way to overcome the Bills and Ravens on the road, then the Niners at Allegiant Stadium. Patrick Mahomes called out the Vegas oddsmakers who disrespected his team, saying "The Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs. Just know that," during the team's postgame celebration.

Whether they are thought to be underdogs before the game, or after they've fallen behind by 10 or more points, the defining characteristic of this Chiefs dynasty-in-progress is that no matter the odds, no matter the score, you can never count them out. Something tells me Vegas will learn its lesson next time.