The Kansas City Chiefs have been running the AFC for so long it feels like they’ve set up permanent residency. Seven straight AFC Championship appearances, five Super Bowl berths within reach, and a pair of shiny rings to show for it. If you’re tired of seeing Patrick Mahomes and his crew hoist trophies, you’re not alone.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey decided to voice what many around the league are feeling. On Tuesday, he fired off a tweet practically begging someone to knock Kansas City off their pedestal. “Somebody please beat Kansas City,” Humphrey wrote, a clear sign that even the league’s stars are growing weary of watching the Chiefs dominate.
Humphrey’s frustrations are personal. The Ravens were knocked out of the playoffs just days earlier in a heartbreaking 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills. And last year? Kansas City ended Baltimore’s Super Bowl dreams in the AFC Championship game. The sting of defeat is bad enough, but seeing the team that’s beaten you continue to thrive adds salt to the wound.
The Chiefs’ dominance hasn’t come without challengers. In the Mahomes era, only the 2019 Patriots, 2021 Buccaneers, and 2022 Bengals have managed to topple Kansas City in the postseason. Now, the Bills will get their chance this weekend at Arrowhead Stadium. The odds? Not great, with Buffalo entering as slight underdogs in what’s expected to be another epic showdown.