Why are the Chiefs favored to beat Philadelphia in the Super Bowl? Start with a winning pedigree

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs spent the season winning games by the narrowest of margins: a field goal made or a field goal blocked, a last-second touchdown or a last-minute stand, each time shredding the nerves of general manager Brett Veach.

But when the Chiefs faced a real must-win game against Pittsburgh on Christmas Day, with a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed and first-round playoff bye, Veach recalled sitting there and watching as his team steamrolled the Steelers 29-10.

“And I thought, ‘That’s kind of how this team operates’,” Veach said. “Like, when they get into these have-to-have-it modes, they have this ability to lock in and play their best football when it matters most. It’s a championship trait.”

That trait helps to explain why the Chiefs are nearly unbeatable in the postseason.

It also might be the biggest reason why they will beat the Philadelphia Eagles to complete a historic three-peat.

The two-time defending Super Bowl champions carry a nine-game playoff win streak into Sunday’s matchup, further proof that they seem to find another level when it matters the most.

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Their most recent loss came against Cincinnati in the AFC title game in the 2021 season, a run of sustained success that includes a come-from-behind Super Bowl win over the Eagles just two years ago.

“You become desensitized to it week-in and week-out,,” Veach said of the regular season, “so it’s not a big game until it’s all or nothing. It’s a little bit of a phenomena that these guys really play their best when it matters the most.

“That’s not the kind of characteristic you want to hang your hat on,” Veach added, “but at the same time, I don’t know how you handle all that winning. I mean, it’s hard to sit there with them Week 2 in Atlanta and be like, ‘We’ve gotta have this, guys.’”

Yet it’s not just the fact that the Chiefs have championship pedigree that have made them a 1 1/2-point favorite, according to BetMGM, but rather a combination of factors on both sides of the ball and special teams that give them an advantage.

Chiefs offense

There is a reason why Patrick Mahomes has won three Super Bowl rings and been the MVP in each of those games. When it comes to the playoffs, much like the rest of his team, the superstar quarterback takes his game to another level.

He has more support now than in past years, too.

In the backfield, the Chiefs added Kareem Hunt to Isiah Pacheco to make a potent one-two combination. They still have Travis Kelce demanding attention from opposing defenses.

But most importantly, Mahomes has perhaps the best wide receiver group of his career, headlined by three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown and first-round pick Xavier Worthy.

“It’s a team that deserves to be in the Super Bowl. That’s what we are,” Hopkins said. “We play to the last second. We don’t give up. It says a lot about us as competitors. It says a lot about a team like that.”

Chiefs defense

Philadelphia had the league’s No. 2 rush offense thanks to record-setting Saquon Barkley, who had 2,005 yards rushing in the regular season and is averaging 147.3 yards in three postseason games. But the strength of the Chiefs defense has been stopping the run; they ranked eighth in the NFL and shut down Bijan Robinson, Alvin Kamara and others this season.

In the passing game, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has struggled a bit under pressure, and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is among the best in the business at dialing up exotic blitzes designed to confuse QBs.

“I think it’s going to be important for us to establish a dominance up front,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We have to stop Saquon in the run game. He’s had his best year yet. It’s definitely a challenge ahead of us.”

Special teams

The Chiefs have a kicker in Harrison Butker capable of hitting from 60-plus yards, and Matt Araiza is capable of flipping field position with every punt. Throw in the fact that Nikko Remigio has emerged as a valuable returner, and the Chiefs have proven they can block kicks as they did to beat Denver, and the Chiefs have a special teams edge.

“To me, this team’s been special because it’s been everybody,” Mahomes said. “If you look at our entire season, it’s like, someone makes a big play at the biggest moment to go out there and win a game, if that’s offense, defense or special teams. I think the fact that it’s been everybody — it’s not just offense, it’s not just defense, it’s everybody on the entire team — that’s something that I’ll remember this season by, and hopefully we can do it the right way and get this final win.”

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