The Chiefs are heading to their fifth Super Bowl. Here’s the team’s big game history

Joseph Hernandez
·4 min read
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If you haven’t heard by now, the Kansas City Chiefs are going back to the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs — broken, bruised and battered — hung in there and defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on a last second field goal by Harrison Butker. The No. 1 seed in the AFC now heads to Glendale, Arizona. for a duel with the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s Kansas City’s fifth time in the Super Bowl. With a win on Feb. 12, they’d become the 10th franchise to win at least three Super Bowls, joining AFC West rivals Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders.

SUPER BOWL I, 1967

Who did the Chiefs play: Green Bay Packers

Did the Chiefs win: No

It’s only right that the first Super Bowl ever featured the Chiefs. After all, the name of the championship game came from legendary Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt after seeing his daughter playing with a super ball, a bouncy toy popular with children.

The first Super Bowl, then called the AFL-NFL Championship game, occurred on Jan. 15, 1967. In front of 61,946 fans, the Chiefs got blown out. They lost 35-10 to the Packers.

This Life Magazine image of a smoking Len Dawson, Fresca at his feet during halftime of the first Super Bowl, has grown in popularity decades after it was taken.
This Life Magazine image of a smoking Len Dawson, Fresca at his feet during halftime of the first Super Bowl, has grown in popularity decades after it was taken.

Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson was sacked six times, and the Kansas City offense was 3-14 on third down. That’s not a winning recipe for any game, much less the Super Bowl.

SUPER BOWL IV, 1970

Who did the Chiefs play: Minnesota Vikings

Did the Chiefs win: Yes

The Chiefs made their triumphant return to the Super Bowl against another NFC North foe. On Jan. 11, 1970, Kansas City kept matriculating the ball down the field, as then-Chiefs head coach and Hall of Famer Hank Stram said to the team during the game.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram congratulating Len Dawson as he comes off the field during Super Bowl IV. Dawson was named MVP for his performance during the game.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram congratulating Len Dawson as he comes off the field during Super Bowl IV. Dawson was named MVP for his performance during the game.

Kansas City defeated Minnesota 23-7. Despite being named in a federal gambling investigation, Dawson kept his cool and was named Super Bowl MVP.

“65 Power Toss Trap” was the defining play of the game. The play was a fake toss sweep mixed with an inside handoff to running back Mike Garrett. Garrett scored a touchdown and effectively sealed the game.

Stram was mic’d up for the play, and NFL Films put together the clip of his voice over the play.

The play was arguably the most important play in Chiefs history.

That was until…

SUPER BOWL LIV, 2020

Who did the Chiefs play: San Francisco 49ers

Did the Chiefs win: Yes

“Do we have time to run Wasp?”

Like Stram had the microphone in Super Bowl IV, NFL Films had Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes mic’d up for this clash against the 49ers on Feb. 2, 2020.

Kansas City was down 20-10 at the midway point of the fourth quarter when on third and 15, Mahomes backed up 10 yards and heaved the ball wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a 44-yard gain.

As Kansas City Star columnist Vahe Gregorian put it in his column about the play, “Seconds after defeat had appeared imminent, victory seemed almost inevitable.”

Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill catches a 44 yard pass in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. (Scott McIntyre/The New York Times)
Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill catches a 44 yard pass in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. (Scott McIntyre/The New York Times)

The Chiefs scored 21 points in the last 7 minutes and 13 seconds to defeat the 49ers 31-20. Damien Williams’ “run to immortality” iced the game with less than two minutes left and Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP, 50 years after the Chiefs last won the Super Bowl.

SUPER BOWL LV, 2021

Who did the Chiefs play: Tampa Bay

Did the Chiefs win: No

The Chiefs were the best team in the NFL during this season, finishing 14-2 and making a second consecutive appearance in the championship game.

Their luck ran out at that point. Key injuries to the offensive line led to Mahomes having to run for his life on every play, and drops from everybody, including trusted sources Hill and tight end Travis Kelce only added to the misery.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Darrel Williams couldn’t grab the pass thrown by a pressured and falling Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021. The Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs 31-9.

The Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady, cruised to a 31-9 victory over the Chiefs. Brady claimed his seventh ring, the most in NFL history and more than any NFL franchise.

Will their championship woes continue, or will Mahomes, Kelce, Chris Jones, Andy Reid and the rest of the crew add to the team’s legacy? We’ll find out on Feb. 12.