The confetti had barely stopped fluttering about Los Angeles’ glorious SoFi Stadium when most of the NFL had already moved on to thoughts of free agency and the 2022 draft. Yes, a Super Bowl happened on Sunday and there was a halftime show that will be raved about for years to come. If you happen to be a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday is exactly what you wanted.
The AFC does not belong to Cincinnati…Yet
While many Kansas Citians are still licking their wounds after blowing a 21-3 lead to weeks ago in the AFC Championship game, today should be your day of reckoning. Sure, the Chiefs blew a golden opportunity to play in a third straight Super Bowl but the AFC throne has not yet been relinquished. The narrative of Joe Burrow taking the mantle from Patrick Mahomes for years to come is on hold as a team without a fan base celebrates a title.
The Rams, built against the typical NFL grain, overcame a shoddy offensive game plan to hoist a Lombardi inside their home stadium. After spending the better part of a week in L.A. on radio row, it was clear that this Super Bowl had a bit of an afterthought feel. It was a one-off. No Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers or even Josh Allen. It was the upstart Bengals loaded with young talent taking on the NFL’s robo-team.
The Twilight Zone Super Bowl
In time, Super Bowl LVI will likely become an unanswerable trivia question. Who played that year Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Eminem performed? You will probably have to Google it. It exists only in some kind of sports Twilight Zone world.
In the mean time, Chiefs fans should rest a little easier knowing no AFC team has emerged to take their place atop the mountain just yet. We know Josh Allen and Joe Burrow are on the cusp and you never know when the Chargers might decide to start making the postseason.
The Chiefs in 2022
It will be interesting to see how the Chiefs respond in 2022. With Andy Reid at the helm, you can practically pencil Kansas City in for 11 wins and there’s no reason to think the Chiefs won’t be right in the thick of things in the AFC once again. There is a high likelihood that a bit of a defensive revamp would be in order as it’s almost certain they are going to have to move on from Tyrann Mathieu, Frank Clark and possibly even Charvarious Ward (who should be allowed to test the market). Where will the pass-rush come from?
Then there’s the pass-catching conundrum. KC needs a viable #2 receiver as neither Byron Pringle or Mecole Hardman can be counted on for such a duty. Can the Chiefs land a free agent like Allen Robinson or Mike Williams or could they turn to the draft? It all remains to be seen but it’s safe to say that the window is not closed as of yet.
