Odds are against 15-win Chiefs to win third straight Super Bowl

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Odds are against the 15-win Chiefs to win third straight Super Bowl

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Dec 26, 2024 9:37 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) appear to be one of the hottest teams in the NFL and in history (on paper), but that's not necessarily the case.

In each win, the team scored less than 30 points, an NFL record, and 11 of those finished with a deficit within one score.

The 2024 Chiefs appear to be more lucky than good, but as long as they're winning, that's all that currently matters to them.

On Wednesday, Kansas City clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means the defending back-to-back Super Bowl champions are considered well on track to complete the first NFL three-peat.

However, of the seven prior teams to win at least 15 games in league history, only two ever went on to win the Super Bowl.

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The 1984 San Francisco 49ers (15-1) and 1985 Chicago Bears (15-1) were the only squads to pull off the impressive feat, taking home the Lombardi Trophy after near-perfect regular seasons. They were also coincidentally the first teams in league history to reach 15 wins.

Kansas City is the first team since the 2015 Carolina Panthers (15-1) to reach the regular-season mark and could be the first to surpass that mark with at least a 16th victory since schedule expansion in 2021.

But having only a pair of squads with that much regular-season success winning it all suggests the chase for a three-peat in Kansas City is looking less and less likely.

Half, however, did reach the big game. The 2015 Panthers and 2007 New England Patriots (16-0) failed to finish the job. The 1998 Minnesota Vikings (15-1), 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers (15-1) and 2011 Green Bay Packers (15-1) all fell short.

So, Chiefs fans can be hopeful of a third consecutive appearance, but after that, it's the team's critics who may be cheering.

Austen Bundy