Where each Chiefs Super Bowl team ranks in the Patrick Mahomes era

The Kansas City Chiefs are just days away from their fifth Super Bowl appearance in the last six seasons. They are 60 minutes away from football immortality with a win. Today we break down the teams that have built the Chiefs dynasty. Which was the best team to win the AFC and take the field in the Super Bowl?

One thing that stood out during this project is how few of the Chiefs teams actually felt like the finished product of themselves. For instance, the 2019 Chiefs were 5th and 6th in offensive points and yards scored that year—largely because Patrick Mahomes fought an ankle sprain and a knee sprain that had him miss 2 games and be limited in other games.

The 2020 Chiefs were dominant all year long, but late injuries made them crumble in the Super Bowl. Very few times it feels like the Chiefs had the best version of themselves all year long. Just like in 2024, the Chiefs know when to peak, and they frequently do so in the Super Bowl.

5. 2023 Chiefs (11-6 and Won Super Bowl 58)

For this project, we used a formula compiling the team's ranking based on DVOA and offensive and defensive numbers. According to our formula, the 2023 Chiefs were the top team (by just one point) however, any Chiefs fan can tell you this was not the best team that played a Super Bowl for Kansas City. This team was led by a dominant defense—two elite corners (Sneed and McDuffie), a quality pass rush, and depth at safety and linebacker. This was Steve Spagnuolo's magnum opus a team that took down our top-ranked opponent for the Chiefs Dynasty.

Offensively this team finally started to click when they simplified the offense down to Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Isiah Pacheco. Sure, they got some meaningful moments from Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Justin Watson but mostly the offense relied on those three, Mahomes and a great defense. The defense was dominant and helped a mediocre offense overcome their flaws

4. 2024 Chiefs (15-2 and playing in Super Bowl 59)

The current version of the Chiefs feels like the epic finale of a movie tribology, when the hero is worn down, tattered, and beaten yet still finds a way to defeat the villain. The Chiefs, statistically, are the worst version of themselves headed into the Super Bowl. However, the team that waits to take the field in New Orleans is so much better than their season-long stats.

The Chiefs' offense, finally healthy, is peaking at the right time. The defense is also playing better than the metrics will tell you (especially when you factor out week 18). Adding Charles Omenihu and Jaylen Watson has helped both the coverage and the pass rush surge late in the year.

This team has become the late-stage Patriots dynasty. They feel almost inevitable in any close game. They execute at a high level, don't turn the ball over, and do all the little things right. They are led by a field of savvy veterans who are full of big-game experience. Perhaps if Rashee Rice was healthy this offense could've been one of the best in the Mahomes era. The team as a whole has become greater than the parts and that's why this team is where it is.

3. 2020 Chiefs (14-2 and lost Super Bowl 55)

It might be surprising to see the team that embarrassingly finished the season this high on the list. The "run it back" tour just fell one game short and the Chiefs were pretty dominant all season long.

The starters only lost one game that year and the offense was still rolling with prime Tyreek and Kelce. The run game was moving with Clyde Edwards-Helaire before he got hurt and the defense was still playing reasonably well. Famously, this offensive line just suffered too many injuries down the stretch. Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz, Kelechi Osemele, and Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff were out (or off fighting the pandemic). It's easy to say that the offensive line was the reason why the Chiefs lost but giving up 31 points didn't help either.

Ultimately, this team felt like an extension of the 2019 Super Bowl team, injuries were the biggest factor in them not getting where they needed to go. Sammy Watkins couldn't rekindle his 2019 post-season and even Patrick Mahomes fought through turf toe and a concussion in the playoffs. This team was probably the best regular season team in the Patrick Mahomes era but because they fell short they won't be remembered the same way.

2. 2019 Chiefs (12-4 and Won Super Bowl 54)

So many Chiefs fans will tell you the first time was the sweetest, watching the dynasty grow has been awesome. However, most of us couldn't even fathom the Chiefs playing for a Super Bowl back in 2019 let alone win it.

The 2019 Chiefs battled adversity with injuries to Tyreek Hill, Eric Fisher, and Patrick Mahomes. They had to rebuild an entire defense in a single off-season and Mahomes was still relatively new to the league. However, this team on offense in the playoffs was elite. Eric Fisher and Mitch Schwartz dominating on the edges, prime Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Legends will always be told about 2019 playoff Sammy Watkins and rookie Mecole Hardman. Damien Williams still has an argument for Super Bowl MVP as well.

However, the one thing stopping this team from taking the top spot is the defense. Tyrann Mathieu was incredible his first few years in Kansas City and Frank Clark was on fire in the playoffs. The rest of the defense outside of Chris Jones was hit or miss. Juan Thornhill tore his ACL late in the year which pushed Daniel Sorenson into the lineup. Bashaud Breeland, Kendall Fuller, and Charvarius Ward ended up being a good enough trio in the coverage unit but the linebackers? Damien Wilson, Reggie Ragland, and Anthony Hitchens will make you appreciate Bolton, Chenal, and Tranquil this weekend.

1. 2022 Chiefs (14-3 and won Super Bowl 57)

This Chiefs team will always be special because they traded away a Hall of Fame receiver and got better. Patrick Mahomes joined rarified air by winning regular season MVP and Super Bowl MVP. Part of the reason why this team is our top team is because of what this team was at the beginning. Trent McDuffie, L'Jarius Sneed, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Jaylen Watson... the list goes on and on of players who made key impacts in this game that would go on to cement the Chiefs dynasty. The defense was young and the clear weakness but don't forget their performance against Joe Burrow in the AFC Championship Game.

The Chiefs' offense was an efficiency machine, this was the best ground game the Chiefs had with big Orlando Brown at left tackle and the beef at the interior of the offensive line. This was Travis Kelce's year offensively and the Chiefs maximized JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, and even Kadarius Toney. Jerick McKinnon was massive for this team down the stretch and Mahomes proved he could elevate lesser talent.

This Chiefs team got the Bengals off their back and proved they were more than a flash in the pan. They weren't the start of the dynasty but they were the beginning of the most important chapter of it.