By Jeff Capellini
/ CBS News
Mecole Hardman Jr. talks game-winning catch
There's something to be said about the heart of a champion. The Kansas City Chiefs have proven it time and again, and they did so at the 2024 Super Bowl, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime to win their second championship in a row and their third in the last five years.
Chiefs' 2024 season leading up to the Super Bowl
Kansas City had an up-and-down regular season but still won 11 games and captured the AFC West title for the eighth consecutive year. The Chiefs then went on the road in the playoffs, which many thought would lead to their undoing considering their relative lack of postseason experience away from the friendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium.
It turns out, it didn't matter. Defense and timely performances from key offensive superstars played large roles in wins at Buffalo and Baltimore.
"We know nothing is going to be given to us. We've got an even bigger target on our back than we did last year," Chiefs safety Justin Reid said last Saturday. "But as far as the mentality in the room, we're working to continue this dynasty, and continue to build on what we did last year, not just rest on our laurels of what we did."
Kansas City has positioned itself as the NFL's gold standard in the post-Tom Bradyera. Brady's New England Patriots won six Super Bowls, tying them with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history. However, with their win Sunday night, they are now more than halfway to equaling that mark. And with a young superstar quarterback inPatrick Mahomes, now a three-time Super Bowl MVP, a surefire Hall of Fame coach inAndy Reid, and a front office that always seems to retool the roster, there's no reason to believe they won't continue to be a perennial Super Bowl contender for the foreseeable future.
How many Super Bowls have the Chiefs won?
The Kansas City Chiefs were the defending Super Bowl champions heading into the 2024 matchup with the 49ers, and have now won four total:
- 2024: Kansas City Chiefs def. San Francisco 49ers 25-22
- 2023: Kansas City Chiefs def. Philadelphia Eagles 38-35
- 2020: Kansas City Chiefs def. San Francisco 49ers 31-20
- 1970: Kansas City Chiefs def. Minnesota Vikings 23-7
How many Super Bowls have the Chiefs appeared in?
Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 marked Kansas City's sixth trip to the Big Game and its fourth in the last five years, including a 31-20 victory over the 49ers in 2020 atSuper Bowl LIV in Miami:
- 2024: Kansas City Chiefs v. San Francisco 49ers
- 2023: Kansas City Chiefs def. Philadelphia Eagles 38-35
- 2021: Tampa Bay Buccaneers def. Kansas City Chiefs 31-9
- 2020: Kansas City Chiefs def. San Francisco 49ers 31-20
- 1970: Kansas City Chiefs def. Minnesota Vikings 23-7
- 1967: Green Bay Packers def. Kansas City Chiefs 35-10
Here's a look back at their championship game history:
The latestChiefs Super Bowl win
Feb. 11, 2024: An overtime win for Kansas City—The Chiefs became the first back-to-back Super Bowl champion in two decades when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl 2023
Feb. 12, 2023: A third ring for Kansas City —The Chiefs trailed the Philadelphia Eagles by 10 points at halftime and by six after three quarters ofSuper Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, but eventual MVP Mahomes threw two touchdown passes in the first 5:38 of the fourth to open an eight-point advantage. The Eagles tied the game with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by Jalen Hurts' 2-yard run and subsequent two-point conversion plunge. Mahomes, however, got the ball back with plenty of time to spare and marched the Chiefs 66 yards before Harrison Butker booted a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left, giving K.C. the 38-35 victory.
Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Super Bowl 2021
Feb. 7, 2021: A repeat wasn't in the cards, thanks to Brady — Mahomes, star tight end Travis Kelce and the rest of an extremely talented group finished the regular season 14-2 and looked like a lock to become the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the Patriots in 2004. But Brady and his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had other ideas. The 43-year-old quarterback became the oldest player to win Super Bowl MVP, his record-breaking fifth, and the first to do it with two different franchises, as the Buccaneers cruised to a 31-9 victory at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl 2020
Feb. 2, 2020: Long wait ends with comeback win over 49ers — The Chiefs erased a 10-point deficit entering the fourth quarter with 21 unanswered points on their way to their second league championship and first in 50 years. Super Bowl LIV MVP Mahomes threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score. The title was the first for head coach Andy Reid, who has since gone on to join the short list of the greatest coaches in NFL history.
Chiefs vs. Minnesota Vikings at Super Bowl 1970
Jan. 11, 1970: Lessons learned and championship earned — Led by Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson and coach Hank Stram, the Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. Dawson, who was named MVP, threw for 142 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs, like the New York Jets the year before, showed with relative ease that the upper-echelon teams from the AFL had come a long way in a very short time.
Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers at Super Bowl 1967
Jan. 15, 1967: Chiefs no match for Bart Starr-led Packers — They will always be remembered as the first team to represent the AFL in the Super Bowl following the league's merger with the NFL, but the game, itself, was anything but a celebration for the Chiefs. Kansas City hung around early and only trailed by four points at the half, but did not score over the last two quarters on its way to a humbling 35-10 loss. Coming into the game, many prognosticators believed that type of outcome was inevitable, given the strength of the more established NFL representative. Green Bay's Bart Starr threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns and was named MVP.
Super Bowl LVIIIairedon CBSand Nickelodeon andstreamed on Paramount+on Sunday, Feb. 11 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
- In:
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Patrick Mahomes
- NFL
- San Francisco 49ers
- Super Bowl LVIII
- NFL Playoffs
- Super Bowl
- Andy Reid
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