For some players, reaching the Super Bowl is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, if it happens at all. Many never get the chance to play on football’s biggest stage. Teams spend years building and improving, yet some franchises still fall short. Dan Marino, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, made it to just one Super Bowl in his entire career. Meanwhile, teams like the Texans and Jaguars have yet to appear in the big game. And then there are the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Led by their superstar quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs have become the gold standard for sustained success. They’ve reached five Super Bowls in just seven seasons, winning three and firmly establishing a modern dynasty. Their consistency is rare in today’s NFL.
Despite a disappointing loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, arguably one of their worst performances, the Kansas City Chiefs still lead Philadelphia in postseason success since 2010. Over the last 15 years, as per Stat Muse, the Chiefs have played 27 playoff games, winning 18 of them, while scoring 89 touchdowns and 754 total points. That dominance has translated into three Lombardi Trophies.
Kansas City’s playoff résumé puts them well ahead of the Eagles, who have won 10 of their 17 postseason games in that span. However, Philadelphia has made the most of its opportunities—nine of those 10 wins came during their three Super Bowl runs, two of which ended in championships.
At the center of Kansas City’s rise is Patrick Mahomes. Since taking over as starting quarterback, Mahomes has been responsible for 17 of the Chiefs’ 18 playoff wins. Of the team’s 89 postseason touchdowns since 2010, he’s thrown 46 and rushed for another 7, putting him just behind the GOAT, Tom Brady, who leads all quarterbacks with 60 postseason passing touchdowns in that span.
Which other franchises have found consistent postseason success?
Second on the list is the New England Patriots. Led by Tom Brady for most of the decade, the Patriots won 16 of their 24 playoff games, adding to their legendary dynasty.
Then there’s the San Francisco 49ers, one of the most successful postseason teams in recent years, even if they haven’t hoisted the Lombardi Trophy since 1994. The Niners have won 13 of their 20 playoff games during this stretch but have lost in the Super Bowl three times.
The Green Bay Packers also had a strong playoff presence under Aaron Rodgers. Although they haven’t reached a Super Bowl since their 2010 win, they still managed to rack up 12 wins in 23 postseason games, consistently making it to the playoffs but falling short in the NFC Championship round.
Rounding out the list are the Eagles, Seahawks, and Ravens, each with 10 playoff wins. Philadelphia has suffered seven postseason losses in that span, while both Seattle and Baltimore have nine.
But when it comes to most playoff wins ever in NFL history, the Chiefs are nowhere near the top. They are at 8th with 26 wins from 48 games. The teams with the most wins are the 49ers (38 wins), the Patriots (37 wins), the Packers (37 wins), the Cowboys, and the Steelers (36 wins). The Birds are at 6th with 29 wins.
Looking ahead, both the Chiefs and Eagles have +340 odds to make the playoffs this season and are tied at +600 to reach the Super Bowl. The question is: how many more postseason wins will they add to their tallies next year?