The stars of the Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce © APA / JAMIE SQUIRE

Back in the Super Bowl: Chiefs can make history

Travis Kelce celebrated on stage almost like he was celebrating at the Super Bowl. When the Kansas City Chiefs star started singing and superstar Taylor Swift cheered just a few meters away, many of the scenes after the Chiefs' triumph in Las Vegas a year ago were reminiscent of the ones.

27 January 2025

From: dpa

Back then, the self-confident model athlete Kelce had already announced that his team would be the first in history to win the most important title in American football three times in a row - now the Chiefs are just one more win away from doing so thanks to a 32:29 win over the Buffalo Bills. "We are never satisfied," said Kelce before singing "Get Down Tonight" by KC & The Sunshine Band.

"I'm at a loss for words," said Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who, unlike Kelce, played a strong game, scoring two touchdowns himself and setting up another with a pass. "It's not about one or a few people, it's about everyone on this team. This is a team sport." He is looking forward to traveling to New Orleans: "Let's make history."

Chiefs meet Eagles again

According to CBS, the last time a team in one of the major US professional leagues won three championships in a row was a good quarter of a century ago - back then it was the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. The Chiefs are the fourth team to make it to the Super Bowl three times in a row. The Bills are also in this group, but have never won the trophy.

Saquon Barkley is in the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. © APA / EMILEE CHINN

On February 9, the Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans. The series of two Super Bowl triumphs began against them two years ago. Back then in Arizona, the Chiefs won 38:35 - but this time the Eagles are traveling with Saquon Barkley as their key player. In the 55:23 win against the Washington Commanders, the running back scored three touchdowns of his own, two of them in the first two attacks of the game.

"I always dreamed of it. But the dream was not to be there, but to win," said Barkley after the dominant performance, in which his quarterback Jaylen Hurts also impressed with three touchdowns and a touchdown pass.

Untouchable in the playoffs

In the US state of Louisiana, the Eagles will now face a Chiefs team that has not lost in the playoffs for three years and has also found a way to win against the Bills. For the fourth time in the past five years, the Chiefs were Buffalo's last stop in the playoffs. Quarterback Josh Allen won the last four games in the duel with Patrick Mahomes in the regular season, but lost all four in the playoffs.

The man behind the success: Chiefs coach Andy Reid © APA / DAVID EULITT

In the playoffs, the Chiefs have been harder to beat than any other team in the NFL since the beginning of the Patrick Mahomes era. Since he took over as the Chiefs' playmaker, he has led his team to at least the AFC finals in seven years. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2020, 2023 and 2024. Now they have a chance to win their fourth title in six years. Kelce would then surely be singing on stage again - and Swift would be celebrating on the pitch not far away.