NEW ORLEANS — The Kansas City Chiefs had spent this season winning games by the narrowest of margins: a field-goal attempt made or a field-goal attempt blocked, a last-second touchdown or a last-minute stand, each time shredding the nerves of general manager Brett Veach.
And then in the 17th week of the regular season, when the Chiefs faced a real must-win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a chance to clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs, Veach recalled sitting there and watching as his team steamrolled their stunned hosts 29-10 on Christmas.
“And I thought, ‘That’s kind of how this team operates,'” Veach said. “Like, when they get into these have-to-have-it modes, they have this ability to lock in and play their best football when it matters most. It’s a championship trait.”
That trait helps to explain why coach Andy Reid’s Chiefs are nearly unbeatable in the postseason this decade.
It also might be the biggest reason why Kansas City (17-2) will beat the Philadelphia Eagles (17-3) at Super Bowl LIX on Sunday night at the Superdome to complete a historic three-peat.