Patrick Mahomes Is Quite Confident in Chiefs’ Super Bowl Outlook Despite Inconsistency

Although the Kansas City Chiefs haven't been dominating their opponents and are far from perfect, Patrick Mahomes's confidence in the team remains sky-high.

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) rolls out to pass during the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

It's no secret that despite boasting an 11-1 record, the Kansas City Chiefs are probably fortunate to be where they are. Extensive injuries offset that at least a bit, but the reigning Super Bowl champions have won several close games and simply aren't playing their best entering Week 14.

Compared to other 11-1 teams this century, stats like DVOA and point differential don't favor Andy Reid's team. This year's Kansas City squad, similarly to the one before it, doesn't blow a ton of teams out and instead skates by in some regular-season outings. That isn't necessarily by design, but rather necessity at times due to fluctuating play and fluid personnel at just about every area of the roster. While most would agree that the Chiefs aren't your typical one-loss team, it's still remarkably impressive that they've gotten to this point and have a lead on the AFC's one-seed.

The last month, specifically, highlights this duality. Week 10 required an improbable blocked field goal to escape losing to the Denver Broncos. Week 11 featured a nine-point loss to the Buffalo Bills, the current No. 2 seed in the conference. Week 12 nearly saw Steve Spagnuolo's defense blow a lead to the Carolina Panthers, then the Chiefs flirted with danger once again on Black Friday versus the Las Vegas Raiders. No game since November began has been comfortable or easy.

With a "Sunday Night Football" showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers on the horizon, an already playoff-bound Kansas City can clinch the division with a victory. Winning the AFC West is all quarterback Patrick Mahomes has ever known, and he thinks this current squad can absolutely reach the mountaintop in February.

"Every team I've been on, I feel like, has been a championship team," Mahomes said. "There have been plays here or there [where] we have either lost in overtime of the AFC Championship Game or lost in the Super Bowl. But I feel like we have the talent and we have the coaching staff and we have the work ethic to go out there and win any football game. It's about going out there and doing that on a week-to-week, day-to-day basis. I feel like we have those guys that are motivated enough to do that. It's not going to be easy; it never is. You have to really play your best football at the perfect time in order to win a championship, and that's what I've learned through my time in the NFL."

There aren't many better examples of a team's "best football at the perfect time" than what the Chiefs did earlier this calendar year. After closing the regular season with back-to-back wins, they went on to defeat three of the other perceived top contenders in the conference en route to the Super Bowl. In that final game, they once again responded to adversity by coming back from a 10-0 deficit against the San Francisco 49ers. Prior to New Year's Eve, Kansas City had dropped four of its last six games and looked nothing like the league's best ball club.

With that in mind, there's never a time when Mahomes backs down from the championship-or-bust mentality. He isn't familiar with any other expectations for a season.

"Honestly, I don't know," Mahomes said. "That's the reason you play the sport. I've never had a team that I didn't believe could win the Super Bowl. I don't know what I would be doing and how I would be acting if we weren't going to the playoffs. My goal at the end of the year is to win the Super Bowl, and nothing else matters."

Since wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins made his debut in Week 8 after being acquired via trade, the Chiefs' offense ranks seventh in EPA/play. Conversely, the defense is 26th in that category in the same stretch (that coincides with cornerback Jaylen Watson's absence). There's a lot the football world still has to figure out regarding this version of Kansas City. What elements are real and sustainable? What parts are fool's gold and bound to regress? Is the best ahead, or is it actually in the rearview mirror?

The next handful of weeks should answer some questions. Either way, Mahomes's outlook on the team is the same.

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