Chiefs Claim Lamar Hunt Trophy, Run it Back to Super Bowl
For 50 years, the Kansas City Chiefs organization worked towards one goal: making it to the Super Bowl.
A year after accomplishing that task and winning the big game, the Chiefs are headed back. Their trip to Tampa Bay for Super Bowl LV became official with a 38-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
“What a great opportunity for Kansas City and the organization, having the opportunity of going back to Tampa and playing the home team there, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their stadium, which is the first time that’s ever happened with a team,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said after the game. “We’re honored to be there, but we got work to be done before we have an opportunity to be down there.”
Returning to the Super Bowl isn’t something the Chiefs took lightly heading into the season. Members of the team, and eventually the organization itself adopted “Run It Back,” as the mantra for the year.
Once Week 1 began the players stopped dropping the line with the media on a regular basis, but it seemed to stay in the locker room.
With just two losses on the season, the plan appeared to work for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, safety Tyrann Mathieu and Co.
“Our guys embraced it,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said. “I guess in the years past we were the hunters. They embraced being the hunted. They loved that challenge.”
Much like the 2019 AFC Championship game against the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs trailed Buffalo by two scores early.
They proceeded to outscore the Bills 34-18 with Mahomes throwing three touchdown passes. Tight end Travis Kelce caught two while wide receiver Mecole Hardman caught the other.
Upon the final, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt accepted the Lamar Hunt Trophy on behalf of the organization, allowing it to remain in Kansas City for at least another season.
“I’m so glad to be able to do it again,” Hunt said. “I thought a lot about my dad [Lamar Hunt] tonight, thought about my family and how excited my father would’ve been that we got to do it again in Arrowhead. That’s what he would’ve liked best about it.”
Now Hunt and the Chiefs will begin the final steps in an effort to bring home a second-straight Lombardi Trophy and try to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the 2003-04 New England Patriots.
“It’s incredible just to get back to the AFC Championship game, much less win it and get to go to Tampa with another opportunity of being able to win the Lombardi trophy,” Hunt said.
