The Kansas City Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. It left them and their fans in a rare spot that they had not experienced in quite some time. But with the matchup for Super Bowl LX now set, Chiefs fans can still leave conference championship weekend with a laugh and a smile. Despite Kansas City failing to make the dance, it has still been a comical postseason from the Chiefs' perspective. None of the teams that are considered K.C.'s top conference foes will add any bling to their trophy case this season.
Sam Darnold delivered a surgical performance in the NFC Championship to help lift the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Darnold made good decisions, protected the football, and threw some absolute dots to where only his guys could get it. Darnold has now made the Super Bowl for the first time as a starting quarterback. It is important to note that he was the backup quarterback to Brock Purdy when the San Francisco 49ers lost Super Bowl LVIII to the Chiefs.
With Darnold and Drake Maye set to square off, one of those two passers will take home their first career Super Bowl ring. The opening betting odds are pitting Darnold and Seattle as the early favorites.
Given all that Darnold has experienced in his career, it would be nice to see him make good on this limited opportunity. The talent and abilities were always noticeable for him from time to time. It just never completely clicked at his previous stops.
Darnold gets early leg up on rest of 2018 QB draft class with NFC title win
Just getting to the Super Bowl is something that he is now the first to do from the 2018 NFL Draft class. Why is this comical for Chiefs fans? Because, in fewer chances as a starter, Darnold got to the Super Bowl before either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. Those two were selected after Darnold in that 2018 class. In terms of their early career success, however, they have plenty of hardware in their possession. Neither of them can say they have made the Super Bowl yet.
Allen and Jackson each have NFL MVP awards. They have numerous division titles. And most of all, they have each had chances to take down Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City on their home turf in the postseason. Neither Allen nor Jackson succeeded in that prime opportunity.
Of course, football is the ultimate team sport. The Bills learned once again this postseason that they cannot ask Allen to do it all on his own. But Buffalo and Baltimore have had plenty of good chances to win the AFC Championship. Now, they are each resetting with incoming head coach additions. From a different angle, Buffalo's owner also had an embarrassing press conference last week.
Just imagine how embarrassed they will be if Darnold wins a Lombardi Trophy before their beloved quarterbacks. Even though Kansas City is at home like them, Chiefs fans could still leave Super Bowl Sunday laughing as hard as ever at their biggest AFC rivals.