Chiefs Claim 'First Goal' On NFL Schedule 'Checklist'
The Kansas City Chiefs are AFC West champions again after the 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.
With the division clinched, the Chiefs must now navigate the next four regular-season games before the playoffs begin, as the hunt for a third straight Super Bowl win is well and truly on.
Sitting at 12-1 and having the most one-score wins of any team in football this season (10), the Chiefs have been called "lucky" by some, and while there might be some merit to that, they always seem to find a way to win...and that's no accident.
For quarterback Patrick Mahomes, claiming the division ticks off one of their goals for 2024—but it's not the main one.
“It's our first goal every single year to win the AFC West,” Mahomes said. “It's a great division where a lot of rivalries, everybody's playing each other tough. Three teams are going to probably make the playoffs, that speaks to the division that we play in. So to be able to win this division, to gain another game in the playoff picture, it's an important game for us against a really good football team. We found a way to get a win, but now we got to keep building if we want to get to our ultimate goal.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) points to tight end Travis Kelce (87) after a play.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
That "ultimate" goal is Super Bowl No. 4 for Patrick, and if things keep trending the way they are, the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will go through Kansas City...and that's a daunting prospect for other title hopefuls.
The Chiefs this season have had an uncanny knack of making "the" play when they need it, and now, they are in the box seat to give the three-peat a serious crack.
With the defense playing stifling football and the offense doing just enough to keep the scoreboard ticking over, the Chiefs, especially at home, will be a tough assignment for anyone in football.
They are the division champs and have the inside track to get to the Super Bowl, and that's just where Kansas City wants to be.
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