The Kansas City Chiefs were inches away from playing in the Super Bowl a year ago and, to many in their locker room, the sting of that overtime loss to New England has served as motivation to return to the American Football Conference (AFC) title game this season.
Now the Chiefs need just one win to get there.
Their routine victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday went down just as the Patriots were losing to the Miami Dolphins, giving the Chiefs the No. 2 seed in the conference. That means they get the week off, while the Patriots are forced to play a wild-card game.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence, man. Defense is balling and our offense is getting things rolling,” Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill said. “We’re the hottest team. We have the most swag in the AFC.”
Yes, the top-seeded Ravens have not lost with Lamar Jackson on the field in ages, the Patriots still have Tom Brady and the Texans have already gotten the best of Kansas City once this season, but the Chiefs (12-4) have also won six straight, their offense playing at a high level and their defense evolving into one of the best in the NFL.
They had a streak of 10 consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown end on Sunday, but they still held Philip Rivers and the Chargers to 21 points, while making crucial plays when they mattered in the fourth quarter.
It is a far cry from last season, when the Chiefs defense failed to stop the Patriots in the fourth quarter and overtime, when linebacker Dee Ford’s offside penalty helped set Brady and the Patriots up for the winning touchdown.
“We have grown tremendously from the situation last year and there is a new makeup of the team,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said “It’s as easy as that. I think, moving forward, we are a lot more comfortable this year than we were last year.”
Most of that new makeup is on defense, where the Chiefs swung a trade-and-sign deal for pass rusher Frank Clark and reeled in safety Tyrann Mathieu in free agency.
Clark was a disruptive force again on Sunday, sacking Rivers once and causing him nightmares a dozen other times, while Mathieu had his team-leading fourth interception.
“Obviously, we have some great momentum heading into the post-season,” Mathieu said. “It’s going to be fun. I love playing football. I love the challenges. I love everything that comes with it. I know my teammates feel the same.”
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