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Can Anyone Stop Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs From Completing the Threepeat?

The Kansas City Chiefs have embarked on the 2024 NFL season with the task of becoming history makers and completing the first three-peat in history. The Missouri outfit has reached the Super Bowl four times in the last five seasons, winning three of them, including the last two on the spin. Now, they sit on the brink of greatness.

The three-peat is something that has remained elusive on the gridiron. While the likes of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls, as well as Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers, have both romped to three straight championships on the basketball court, such a feat has never been achieved in the world of football. But that hasn't been for the want of trying.

Failed Three-peat Attempts

Only three teams in history have ever made it to the Big Game in three straight campaigns. The Miami Dolphins achieved the elusive feat in 1971, 1972, and 1973, losing the first but winning the latter two. They then went for the three-peat in 1974 but were downed in the Divisional Round by the Oakland Raiders.

Two decades later, the Buffalo Bills memorably made four straight Super Bowls, but inexplicably, they lost all four. In 2024, they remain without a maiden Lombardi. The New England Patriots also reached three straight between 2016 and 2018, winning the former and the latter of the three but losing the middle clash to the Philadelphia Eagles.

There have been plenty of other teams that have won back-to-back championships, but they were never quite able to claim the third. The Brady-Belichick Patriots won two on the bounce in the early 2000s but were downed in the 2005 divisional round by the Denver Broncos. Those same Broncos had their own three-peat ambitions derailed in 1999 but didn't even make the postseason after amassing a paltry 6-10 record.

Before that, the likes of the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers (twice), Miami Dolphins, and Green Bay Packers have all lifted consecutive Lombardis but were unable to go on and make history. Will the Chiefs suffer the same fate this term?

Opening Week Insights

The Chiefs headed into the new campaign as the frontrunner to claim the Lombardi, and started strong. After a 27-20 victory against the Baltimore Ravens on week one, the latest NFL odds make them the +475 favorites to reign supreme once again. In their kickoff game victory, the mercurial Patrick Mahomes was once again the linchpin of his side's offense. The former Texas Tech star racked up relatively modest stats for his standards, securing 291 throwing yards and a crucial touchdown, en route to the victory.

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy was the star of the show, however. He made an explosive debut and immediately endeared himself to the Arrowhead faithful, contributing two touchdowns and displaying lightning speed which will be a problem for the rest of the league to deal with in upcoming games. His 35-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter highlighted the potential for dynamic playmaking that the Chiefs will likely rely on throughout the season.

Defensively, while the Chiefs managed to contain the Ravens' late-game surge, there were cracks visible. Lamar Jackson's ability to scramble and extend plays posed challenges, as evidenced by his 122 rushing yards. Had he not missed a wide-open Zay Flowers and had Isiah Likely not had a toe out of bounds deep into the fourth quarter, then last season's AFC top seed may well have emerged with a victory.

Potential Challengers

In the AFC, several teams pose credible threats to the Chiefs' quest for another title. The aforementioned Ravens certainly gave the reigning champions all they could handle in week one, and they will be aiming to build on their impressive showing in the coming weeks. However, no matter how well they perform throughout the regular season, question marks still linger over Lamar Jackson's ability to lead a team to a deep postseason run.

The Cincinnati Bengals were also supposed to be a threat. Superstar quarterback Joe Burrow has returned from injury and completed his first full preseason since his maiden campaign in the NFL. But that didn't matter on week one as Cincy was upset by the underdog New England Patriots on home turf in their opening game, and they must bounce back fast if they are to provide a credible threat.

Over in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers appear to be the biggest challenge. Led by upstart quarterback Brock Purdy as well as powerhouses in the form of tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey, the Niners can dismantle opponents at will both on offense and defense. They began their campaign with a comfortable win against Aaron Rodgers' New York Jets, and they will be aiming to put last season's Super Bowl LVIII heartbreak firmly behind them.