This dynasty should have disappeared in the free agency/salary cap era.
It was never expected that the Patriots would win six Super Bowls from 2001 to 2018 and win the AFC East for 11 straight seasons.
Now, the Chiefs are playing in their fourth Super Bowl in five years and will look to win their third Lombardi Trophy in four years when they face the 49ers in Las Vegas on February 11th.
The Patriots were hated in the same way the Yankees were hated for championships.
Chiefs? No Spygate, no Deflategate, a lovable head coach and a likeable quarterback, a kinder, gentler dynasty.
But as defending Super Bowl champions, they still know they’re carrying the villain’s eyeballs.
“Everyone wants to beat the Chiefs,” rookie receiver Lachie Rice said. “We’re the ones you want to take down. We’re exposed to targets every day.”
The Patriots won three Super Bowls after Spygate, and three times after Deflategate. These Chiefs were deregistered in late December after losing four of six games, but bounced back to be their best when their best was called for.
Let’s start with the quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is to the Chiefs what Tom Brady is to the Patriots: a future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback.
You go next to the head coach. Andy Reid is to the Chiefs what Bill Belichick is to the Patriots. Belichick is a master of defense. Reid is an aggressive savant. He is a future Hall of Fame coach.
This is the perfect place to build a dynasty. In fact, it’s the best place.
Brady and Belichick have worked together longer and better than any head coach or quarterback, which is why they are the GOAT.
Mahomes and Reid likely won’t have that kind of staying power, as Reid turns 66 in March, and there’s some speculation that he could walk off into the sunset with a third ring. But Mahomes is still only 28 years old, and you better believe Chiefs GM Brett Veach will find a quality replacement to maximize Mahomes’ career into the next decade. Let’s not forget that Brady, 43, won his seventh and final Super Bowl with Bruce Arians.
And that’s where the genius of Brady and Mahomes lies. They inspire everyone around them, both on the field and in the building. They change a culture that expects to win to one that expects to win.
Another coincidence is that Brady had Rob Gronkowski. Mahomes has Travis Kelce. Future Hall of Fame tight end.
And because they always start at the top, the Patriots have Robert Kraft and the Chiefs have Clark Hunt.
Reid, like Belichick during his dynasty days, was supported by quality assistants. From offensive coordinator Charlie Weis to Josh McDaniels to defensive coordinators Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Dean Pees and Matt Patricia, Belichick has found partners he can trust.
Reed and OCs Doug Pederson and Eric Bieniemy were in lockstep, followed by DC Bob Sutton and Steve Spagnuolo. Bieniemy was traded this season, and the Chiefs replaced him with Matt Nagy.
Belichick and Brady didn’t win a Super Bowl when Randy Moss was Brady’s go-to guy, but they won three after Moss was gone. Reid and Mahomes are looking to repeat that after Tyreek Hill was traded to the Dolphins before the 2022 season.
“They lost one of the best receivers in the National Football League,” former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi told the Post. “But they keep winning and they’re back in the Super Bowl.”
Belichick was willing to give players with baggage a chance, including Moss, Corey Dillon, Aaron Hernandez and Antonio Brown. Reed was going to roll the dice on Kelce, Hill, Marcus Peters, Frank Clark and Kadarius Toney.
Belichick was able to find bargains in the draft basement (Brady, sixth round, Julian Edelman, seventh round) and in free agency, but Brady’s paychecks continued to fall below market value year after year.
Reid and general manager Brett Veach traded for Mahomes in the 2017 draft and acquired other gems in the draft (including seventh-round pick Isaiah Pacheco) and free agents, but now they’re the cap prime mover. He will be tasked with replacing Brandt Tillis (who was responsible for building Mahomes). He signed a 10-year, $450 million contract extension in 2020, bringing his talents to Carolina.
“They made the right players and replaced the players they lost, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the head coach and the quarterback,” Accorsi said of the Patriots and Chiefs.
Darth Vaderchick and Uncle Andy have different leadership styles: “do the job” and “eat the cheeseburger,” but both are uncompromising in their pursuit of victory. Both are adept at creating a culture and environment conducive to winning. Their relentless attention to detail knows no bounds. Both have a vision and role for every player on the roster.
And, of course, both have had the luxury of being elite franchise quarterbacks delivering their messages in meetings, practices and game days.
In a league where most games are decided by a single point, Belichick eliminated placekickers Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski. Reed has trusted Harrison Butker since 2017.
The Patriots were the team we were supposed to hate. It’s hard to hate these Chiefs, but it’s mostly because of Reid and Mahomes. But defeating them is equally difficult.
