Hard to beat Chiefs with a loser’s mentality – BOFA Sports

The results suggest there’s more to Kansas City than luck and wild conspiracy theories

By now, we’ve heard all the reasons (and conspiracies) why the Kansas City Chiefs are the dominant force in the NFL. If it wasn’t the league telling officials to be nice to the Chiefs, it was the thirst to put Kansas City in the spotlight. Everyone knows pop star Taylor Swift, who is currently Travis Kelce’s girlfriend, brings in a new audience that the NFL (Swifties) probably doesn’t have, and the networks have to make sure they get Swift’s reactions to Kelce’s every catch, adding fuel to the fire of haters everywhere. Despite the crazy reasons thrown around in the gossip world, there’s no denying the results on the field. Kansas City is headed for its seventh straight appearance in the AFC Championship Game, with a third straight Super Bowl title still in play. With such great success, it requires skills to make it happen, and most importantly, consistency in leadership positions so that it can continue to be developed.

Of course, leadership goes from the top to the bottom, but on the field, it helps to have one of the best coaches in Andy Reid. Not long ago, Reid was known as a coach who was unable to win “the big one” during his days with the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, he’s moved up the all-time wins list, securing his 300th win when the Chiefs beat the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional round last weekend. At quarterback, Kansas City has Patrick Mahomes, the best in the league, and like Reid, one of the best at his respective position. Together, Reid and Mahomes have set the foundation for building the rest of the roster, which is saying a lot considering how quickly people want change when the first signs of trouble appear. One more thing, the Chiefs defense has been the strongest part of the team. Math can be a tough subject, but a top-notch head coach, combined with a great QB and defense, equals a championship formula.

This isn’t breaking news about Kansas City being the standard in the league, but trying to beat them becomes more difficult when a loser’s mentality comes into play. The Texans, after being sent home by the Chiefs, made it clear that they felt they were going into the game feeling like they had to beat Kansas City and the officials. There have been some controversial calls regarding contact with Mahomes, but simply put, Houston is not good enough to beat teams at the championship level. When a team does something for a reason, they may already be beaten before the game starts. When an inevitable loss occurs, the blame is placed on someone other than where the loss should have occurred, on themselves. The Texans had plenty of chances to win the game, but just didn’t make enough plays. C.J. Stroud being sacked eight times had nothing to do with officiating, and everything to do with an offensive line that was out in the trenches. The inability to cover Kelce, who had seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown, was due to a poor defensive game plan that allowed the Chiefs’ primary target to accomplish whatever he wanted on the field. All these things are simply forgotten because of existing reasons, but that’s what happens when people don’t want to face the fact that they are not ready to face intense competition.

Obviously, being a mature team isn’t part of the formula for beating Kansas City, but what is? Confidence is at the top of the list, but there is also evidence that says it might happen. The Cincinnati Bengals were able to come to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and beat the Chiefs during their trip to the Super Bowl in the 2021-’22 season. The big picture shows that Kansas City has been champions the past two seasons, but if you dig deeper, a few games could have changed history. In the 2022 round, their respective margins of victory are seven (Jacksonville Jaguars), three (Bengals), and three (Eagles). 2023 will be more of the same. After beating the Miami Dolphins 26-7 in a rare wild card appearance, the wins were three (Buffalo Bills), seven (Baltimore Ravens) and three (San Francisco 49ers). In other words, the Chiefs are not a one-of-a-kind freight train capable of blowing away everyone who takes the field with them. More often than not, teams have a chance to make money, but Kansas City beats them.

So here we are, in the NFL’s version of the Final Four, and we’re asking the same questions we’ve had for years about who has what it takes to dethrone the Chiefs. The Bills will get another chance on Sunday night, and they believe the team they bring to Kansas City this time is the best equipped for the task. That mentality alone gives them a better chance than Houston ever had, and confidence is a powerful thing. Another thing that probably won’t be heard when Buffalo players are interviewed ahead of the game is the reasoning behind it. Whether or not they can break through Chiefs Kingdom is another question, but if the Bills lose, it won’t be because the confidence isn’t there. Losing is not an easy thing to deal with, but having a loser mentality before stepping onto the field actually makes things worse. That’s something the Texans will have to deal with, and if they stay with the status quo, it’s hard to see where they can get past winning in the AFC South.