KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs had been understated in their push for history, acknowledging their chance to become the first NFL team to win three consecutive titles in the Super Bowl era but saying little else.
That all changed in the moments following the Chiefs’ 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, a win that sends them to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans against the Philadelphia Eagles.
From the hastily constructed stage on the Arrowhead Stadium playing field, with confetti falling, Patrick Mahomes spoke for not only himself but his teammates when he said, “I’m excited to get to New Orleans and try to make history.”
The Chiefs are the ninth NFL team to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships but the first to return for a third consecutive season.
“It’s an amazing achievement,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. “It’s hard to even put into words what it means to have the opportunity that we will here in two weeks in New Orleans. So special.”
Asked why the first eight teams to try for a three-peat failed, Hunt said, “I think it’s because those teams didn’t have the combination of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.”
The Chiefs had to dig deep to make this Super Bowl appearance. The Chiefs and Bills traded the lead four times, with Kansas City not taking the lead for good until Harrison Butker kicked a 35-yard field goal with 3:33 remaining to break a tie and give the Chiefs the winning points.
The Chiefs then had to hold off the Bills by forcing Josh Allen to throw an incomplete pass on fourth down near midfield with two minutes remaining.