Chiefs going for first three-peat in Super Bowl era

“Having a chance to win, you know what it feels like,” Kansas City general manager Brett Veach told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “You know what’s at stake. It certainly has a different feel to it.”

Sunday’s game is a rematch of Super Bowl 57, a 38-35 victory by the Chiefs. Kansas City prevailed last year in Super Bowl 58 by another three-point margin (25-22).

“It’s going to be an amazing game Sunday,” Veach said. “I’m happy we’re here, but no I don’t think I’ve ever sat back and relaxed or smiled. It’s full throttle until the end of the season and hopefully we’ll get one more.”

The fact that the Chiefs are even in this position - when teams lose players each year to free agency in the salary-cap era - is a huge accomplishment. And they have been the team to beat on everyone’s schedule this season. They have 11 wins in one-score games, including a 22-17 victory in Atlanta in September.

“But to get to three straight Super Bowls and have a chance to win them, with a 53-man roster and 16 or 17 practice squad players, I mean it’s hard to do in any sport,” Veach said. “But it’s not basketball or baseball. We have an enormous roster. There’s a ton of turnover. We have a bunch of the highest paid players at their positions so you can’t keep some of the players that you want to keep.”

The Patriots, who won six Super Bowls under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, never won three titles in a row. They were last team to have a shot, but they lost to didn’t reach the big game after winning Super Bowls 38 and 39.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

The Patriots were the last team to reach three Super Bowls in a row. They beat the Falcons in Super Bowl 51, lost to the Eagles in Super Bowl 52 and beat the Rams in Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta.

“It would be special, but I don’t know if its any more special because they are all unique in there own way,” Veach said. “But I know it’s something that no team has every done before (in the Super Bowl era). It certainly would be in a class by itself.”

Even the mighty Steelers of the 1970s never won three titles in a row. The Steelers amassed a talented roster that remained the same in the pre-salary cap and free agency era. The Steelers won Super Bowls 9 and 10 and didn’t reach 11. The Steelers also won Super Bowls 13 and 14. They didn’t reach Super Bowl 15.

“They got to keep all of their guys,” Veach said. “It’s harder to win in this league and it’s hard to sustain success with the salary cap. Obviously it would be something that is really special. We have a lot of work to do. Obviously, we’re playing an amazing team. It’s not going to be easy.”

Coach Andy Reid has a simple formula to combat complacency.

“We try to focus on the game and just try to keep it at that,” Reid said. “Work hard and that keeps us focused. On top of that, I’ve got a good locker room.”

Reid doesn’t get caught up in the hype.

“We just try to work hard and keep it simple,” Reid said. “All I know is that it’s really about the game. You don’t want to lose track of what this is all about…you can’t get too far from what’s real and that’s playing the game.”

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the MVP of the last two Super Bowls, is ready for the challenge against the Eagles and embraces the position he and his teammates are in.

“When we step on that football field, we are going to get together as a brotherhood and as a family and play our best football,” said Mahomes, also the MVP of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 54 win over the 49ers. “We’re going to live with the results after. It’s not like I’m embracing being a villain or anything like that. I just believe in my teammates and how we play football.”

Now, all that is left is to play the game.

“It should be a lot of fun Sunday to see how this all plays out,” Veach said.