Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Super Bowl LVIII

ONE DEAD in KC PARADE SHOOTING

by

🚨 BREAKING NEWS REPORT 🚨

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – One person was killed and at least 10 people were injured Wednesday when gun shots were fired at the conclusion of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade and celebration, according to multiple reports.

Embed from Getty Images

There was no official word from the Kansas City Police Department, which said that shots were fired and that “multiple people were struck.”

 

 

Three people were taken into custody, per the media report. Police said “more investigation” was underway.

The reported shooting occurred near a parking garage west of Union Station, where a large crowd had gathered as players and team personnel took the stage to celebrate with fans mostly clad in Chiefs red.

Videos posted to X, formerly Twitter, show Chiefs fans running away from Union Station after the ceremony had ended.

“Anyone nearby needs to leave the area as quickly and safely as possible to facilitate treatment of the shooting victims,” the KC police department posted to X. “Please avoid the Union Station parking garage area to allow first responders through.”

The Chiefs were celebrating their 25-22 Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Las Vegas. It was the team’s second consecutive championship and third in five seasons. The Chiefs have appeared in four of the past five Super Bowls.

–Field Level Media

SUPER LVIII: Most Watched in History

by

LAS VEGAS – (Wire Service Report) – The Kansas City Chiefs’ overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday was the most-watched television program in U.S. history, according to preliminary data released by Nielsen and CBS on Monday.

Embed from Getty Images

According to CBS, which broadcast the game, the Super Bowl averaged 123.4 million viewers across all platforms, breaking the mark of 115.1 million set during last year’s Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

CBS added that 202.4 million viewers watched at least part of the game, breaking the record of 184 million (also set last Super Bowl).

Though Nielsen’s final data will be released Tuesday, Monday’s figures made it clear the game was smash hit for CBS and the NFL. The 120 million viewers who watched the game on CBS was a single-network record. The Paramount+ audience made it the most-streamed Super Bowl, as well, CBS claimed.

The total of 123.4 million also includes viewers of simulcasts on Nickelodeon, Univision, Paramount+, NFL+ and other NFL digital properties.

While the game going to overtime played a role in audience retention, several storylines had much of the country buzzing long before kickoff.

The win was the Chiefs’ third in five seasons, placing quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid among rare NFL royalty. Mahomes joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only players with at least three Super Bowl MVPs, and Reid became the fifth coach with at least three Super Bowl wins as a head coach.

Las Vegas hosted the Super Bowl for the first time, with Usher performing at halftime. And the game marked the season’s culmination of the Taylor Swift-NFL juggernaut, as the superstar was in attendance to watch her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, catch nine passes for 93 yards for his third Super Bowl win.

Up next is Super Bowl LIX, scheduled for Feb. 9, 2025, at the Superdome in New Orleans. Fox will broadcast that game.

–Field Level Media

SUPER BOWL LVIII – SUPER TWOs-DAY

by

LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Patrick Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with three seconds left in overtime to give the Kansas City Chiefs a 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Embed from Getty Images

Mahomes guided the Chiefs on a 13-play, 75-yard drive after the 49ers had settled for a field goal on their overtime possession. The victory made Kansas City the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots in the 2002-03 seasons.

Mahomes was 34-of-46 passing for 333 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as the Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in the past five seasons. Two of their victories have come against the 49ers.

Travis Kelce caught nine passes for 93 yards and Marquez Valdes-Scantling also caught a touchdown pass for Kansas City. Harrison Butker tied a Super Bowl record with four field goals, including a record 57-yarder just one quarter after San Francisco’s Jake Moody set the mark with a 55-yard kick.

Brock Purdy completed 23 of 38 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown for the 49ers. Christian McCaffrey had 160 scrimmage yards (80 rushing, 80 receiving) to go with a touchdown catch while Jauan Jennings threw a touchdown pass and caught another for San Francisco, which last won a Super Bowl in the 1994 season.

Moody kicked a 27-yard field goal with 7:22 left in overtime to give the 49ers a three-point lead.

Moody also booted a 53-yard field goal with 1:53 remaining in regulation to give the 49ers a 19-16 advantage. The Chiefs rallied to force overtime on Butker’s 29-yarder with three seconds left.

Steve Christie of the Buffalo Bills set the former long mark with a 54-yarder against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII on Jan. 30, 1994.

Mahomes connected with a wide-open Valdes-Scantling to give Kansas City its first lead of the contest at 13-10 with 2:28 left in the third quarter.

San Francisco recovered to take a 16-13 lead on Purdy’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Jennings with 11:22 remaining in the game. But Moody’s extra point was blocked by Kansas City’s Leo Chenal.

The missed point was magnified when Butker kicked a 24-yard field goal to tie the score with 5:46 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Moody broke the record with a 55-yard field goal 12 seconds into the second quarter for the points of the game.

San Francisco stretched the lead to 10 when Purdy threw a lateral to his left to Jennings, who then threw a toss all the way back to the other side of the field. McCaffrey caught it and easily sped ahead to score the game’s first touchdown with 4:23 left in the half.

Kansas City finally got on the board on Butker’s 28-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the half. His record-setting boot in the third quarter cut the Chiefs’ deficit to 10-6.

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVIII Notebook

by

LAS VEGAS – (Wire Service Report) – After the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII last year, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn’t ready to crown his team as NFL royalty.

“I’m not gonna say dynasty yet. We’re not done,” Mahomes said. “So, I’m not gonna say dynasty yet.”

Well, he can now.

Embed from Getty Images

The Chiefs edged the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, taking home their second straight Lombardi Trophy and third in five years. It was a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, which Kansas City also won, 31-20, back in 2020.

San Francisco was just minutes away from matching the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories in league history (six), going up 19-16 with 1:53 left in regulation when Jake Moody made good on a 53-yard field goal.

But Harrison Butker’s 29-yarder with three seconds remaining tied things at 19-all, and the Niners had to settle for another field goal from Moody — this one from 27 yards out — on the first possession of the extra session.

Mahomes then guided the Chiefs 75 yards in 13 plays, ending the game with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with three seconds to go.

–Mahomes completed 34 of 46 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, also leading Kansas City in rushing with 66 yards on nine carries. He was named Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career, joining Joe Montana as a three-time winner. They only trail Tom Brady, who won the award five times.

“To me, it’s always gonna be tough because Brady beat me in the Super Bowl. That’s the only thing he’ll always have on my head,” Mahomes told NFL Network, referring to the comparisons he has drawn to Brady. “It gives me something to strive for every single day — it’s chasing greatness.”

–Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce hauled in nine receptions for 93 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift in attendance. Kansas City was 10-3 this season (including playoffs) when Swift came to cheer the team on.

–Brock Purdy threw for 255 yards and a TD on 23-for-38 passing for the Niners, who got 160 yards from scrimmage (80 rushing, 80 receiving) from Christian McCaffrey.

“It starts with (my) coach (Kyle Shanahan), that’s who I hurt for and for all the other guys, our whole team,” Purdy said. “What we’ve been through the last year hasn’t been easy. For it to go like that where it’s close at the end and it’s tough, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.”

–San Francisco wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a touchdown pass and caught another, becoming the second player to accomplish the feat in the same Super Bowl. Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller Nick Foles was the other, doing so in Super Bowl LII.

–The 49ers’ Jake Moody opened the scoring 12 seconds into the second quarter, kicking the longest field goal in Super Bowl history — a 55-yarder. However, Harrison Butker shattered that mark with a 57-yard field goal in the third that pulled Kansas City within 10-6. Steve Christie of the Buffalo Bills had the original record, booting a 54-yarder in Super Bowl XXVIII.

–For the third straight game, the Chiefs were underdogs. Oddsmakers favored the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

“Just know that the Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs,” Mahomes said. “Just know that.”

–Field Level Media

TL’s Super Sunday Notes | Feb 11

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Let’s have a Super Day. First and foremost, let’s hope for a great NFL championship game between the San Francisco 49ers (representing the National Football Conference) and the Kansas City Chiefs (representing the American Football Conference). Let’s hope for game played at the highest level, a game that is close to the final minutes and one that goes from kickoff to the final seconds without any player being seriously injured.

After that? We can get a little greedy in the things we’d like to see.

Back on September 3, 2023, I went with the favorites and predicted a San Fran vs KC Super Bowl with the Niners winning and RB Christian McCaffrey taking home the Most Valuable Player award. Aside from just about every pundit predicting a Kansas City victory and a Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes MVP performance, I see no reason to change my preseason prediction.

Throughout this week’s game analysis, much of the focus on the Niners’ success was placed upon the shoulders of young Brock Purdy, the third team quarterback now starting and proving he belongs amongst the elite QBs in the NFL. Remember, Purdy suffered torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in January 2023 but rehabbed after an “InternalBrace” surgery was performed, saving him the lengthy rehab after undergoing a more involved “Tommy John” surgery needed by so many MLB pitchers.

The successful surgery allowed the 2022 seventh round draft choice (No. 262) out of Iowa State to return to action. Keep in mind, the 49ers were 7-1 with Purdy before his injury occurred and they went 12-5 this season, good enough for the NFC West division title and victories in the two NFC playoff games, thus earning this trip to Las Vegas and Super Bowl LVIII. By the way, that Roman numeral stands for 58, not Las Vegas 3.

Combining McCaffrey, Purdy, an elite receiving corp, a Pro Bowl Tight End (George Kittle) and one of the NFL’s best defensive units (top three in holding opponents in rushing yards and points, but middle of the pack vs the pass), should be enough to outlast the Chiefs, although KC can boast much of the same.

Yes, QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Isiah Pacheco and all everything TE Travis Kelce provide the power numbers in passing rushing and receiving, but the KC defense ranks slightly ahead of SF in most categories.

Here are some fun facts to consider as you watch the Super Bowl Sunday night:

  • The two teams are a combined 5-0 at Allegiant Stadium since it opened in 2020.
  • It’s tough to pick against KC QB Patrick Mahomes as the 28 year old will become the youngest QB in NFL history to start a fourth Super Bowl. Previously, at age 30, New England’s Tom Brady held the honor. With a win, Mahomes would join Brady and Hall of Famer and former Dallas Cowboys QB Troy Aikman as the only quarterbacks to win three Super Bowl rings prior to their 30th birthdays.
  • KC TE Travis Kelce is likely to work the middle of the field vs. the 49ers as Kelce led all NFL tight ends in yards receiving (393) when the closest defender is a linebacker.
  • Since head coach Andy Reid was hired by Kansas City on January 7, 2013, (11 seasons), the Chiefs have not experienced a losing season. No other NFL team can say they have more than five consecutive winning seasons. KC has been to the Super Bowl in four of the last five years. That impressive mark comes after the Chiefs went 49 years without a trip to the Super Bowl.
  • There is some (unfounded) speculation that Reid might “go out on top” and retire if KC is victorious. Further logic would place – now head coaching free agent – Bill Belichick as a possible replacement for KC to consider.
  • As previously noted, SF QB Brock Purdy entered the NFL as the final choice of the 2022 NFL Draft which “just happened to be held” in Las Vegas. Since his draft day, Purdy has an .808 winning percentage as a starter, is passing at 9.2 yards per attempt, and owns an 111.2 pass rating – all top marks for NFL quarterbacks with a minimum of 20 starts.
  • Niners RB Christian McCaffrey (yes, the son of former Denver Broncos’ receiver Ed) has joined Hall of Famer and Denver RB Terrell Davis as the only players in league history to average 110 scrimmage yards per game in both the regular season and postseason.
  • To tie a bow on the stats and factoids/nuggets section of your Super Notebook, this year’s game features the best defensive matchup in Super Bowl history. During the regular season, Kansas City allowed 17.3 points per game while San Francisco allowed 17.5 ppg. Only Baltimore, at 16.5 ppg, had a better “D” and you saw what KC did to them.

HONOR ROLL: This week, the National Football League recognized its award-winning players in the annual NFL HONORS ceremony, traditionally held the Thursday evening before Super Bowl Sunday. Here are a few of the top honorees:

  • Most Valuable Player: Lamar Jackson (Baltimore)
  • Coach of the Year: Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland)
  • Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco)
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett (Cleveland)
  • Comeback Player of the Year: Joe Flacco (Cleveland)
  • Offensive Rookie of the Year: C. J. Stroud (Houston)
  • Defensive Rookie of the Year: Will Anderson (Houston)
  • Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year: Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh)
  • Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award: Bobby Wagner (Seattle)
  • Deacon Jones (Sack Leader): T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh)
  • Jim Brown Award: Christian McCaffrey (SF 49ers)

WALTER PAYTON MAN of the YEAR: Here’s an award that deserves further ,mention, as it is named for one of the greatest players in NFL history. In the late Walter Payton, running back for the Chicago Bears, the NFL honors “a player who excels on the field but demonstrates a passion for creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game.” … Pittsburgh defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, the 2023-24 honoree, has played 13 seasons in the NFL and is known as a leading voice in the Steelers’ locker room. Heyward’s 78.5 career sacks are the most for a Pittsburgh defensive lineman since 1982. Heyward is a six-time Pro Bowl player, a three-time first team All Pro. Heyward’s contributions off the field are far too numerous to list in this column. Suffice to say, he’s done it all in the Pittsburgh community. He’s helped fun libraries, school systems, worked and donated to food banks and works to assist the patients and families of those suffering from brain tumors and cancer. This year was the sixth time he was nominated as the Pittsburgh Steelers contender for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

SALUTE TO SERVICE AWARD: Believe it or not, there’s a New England connection to Super Bowl LVIII. The NFL and sponsor USAA named Joe Cardona, the long snapper for the New England Patriots as recipient of the Salute to Service Award. It is presented annually to a member of the NFL for “exceptional efforts to honor and support the military community.” Cardona graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served the United States when stationed at the Naval Academy Prep School in Rhode Island. He has dedicated his time and support to the military serving on the Korean Peninsula.

THE WWYI SUPER BOWL MENU – With the weather unsettled – up and down, meaning NO GRILLING – we went for the sure fire specialties which are all set and ready to go. Here’s the Super Sunday menu:

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: While we must applaud New England’s Joe Cardona for his award, I always thought a long snapper was something caught off the Florida coast. … All indication thus far has Las Vegas as the all-time greatest site for the Super Bowl. By contrast, the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend was duly noted as the worst All-Star event since the league went to a full weekend of activities (1984). Why?

IT WAS 60 YEARS AGO: This week, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of The Beatles landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and their subsequent appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show (two days after thier Pan American Flight 101 from London). The good folks of Pan American public relations staff pulled off – possibly – the greatest PR Photo Op of all-time, complete with backdrop and product placement – the Pan Am Boeing 707 Clipper Ship. … Everyone seems to agree, Rock ‘n Roll was never the same after the lads played “I Want to Hold Your Hand” on the Ed Sullivan Show.

CLIPPED: Just when you thought it was safe to re-enter the sports docuseries waters after “Winning Time” was rightfully cancelled, the general public learned about a new documentary series today, entitled, CLIPPED.

The press release goes something like this: “If you pay even the slightest attention to professional basketball, you’ve heard about former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling — and the scandal that led to his lifetime ban from the NBA.

In 2014, during the Clippers’ playoff run, Sterling was caught on tape spewing racist remarks. The news blew open his marriage, drew attention to his personal assistant V. Stiviano, and revealed deep problems within the Clippers organization. In 2019, the scandal became the subject of an ESPN 30 for 30 podcast titled The Sterling Affairs, reported and hosted by Ramona Shelburne. This summer, 10 years after the tapes were released, The Sterling Affairs gets the small screen treatment, coming to FX on Hulu as the six-episode miniseries Clipped. … Ramona Shelburne is a fabulous reporter and has contributed mightily to the world of sports journalism, BUT, why on Earth do we need to revisit Donald Sterling and the Clippers debacle of 2014? … Give us a mini-series on the life of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his new impact as a gifted writer. Give us a mini-series on Elgin Baylor and Julius Erving, two of the greatest skywalkers who ever touched a basketball. Remember, if there were no Elgin and Doc, there’s no chance we would’ve had Michael and Kobe.

SB LVIII: Niners Struck Gold

by

LAS VEGAS — As Mr. Irrelevant, he had a parade, a prodigious haul of swag and a few massive believers.

As an NFL quarterback in his second season, Brock Purdy started two NFC Championship Games and is playing Sunday for a Lombardi Trophy and a little bit more national attention.

“I would say he’s doing a pretty good job of getting it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday at Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night.

It’s been quite a roller coaster to get back to Las Vegas, where Purdy brings a 21-5 record as a starter to the Strip and a Super Bowl LVIII matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The third-youngest QB starter in Super Bowl history, Purdy is embracing everything about his next game and the opportunity to spark another parade.

“I got drafted last,” Purdy said Monday with a wry smile. “Staying grounded and more than anything, just staying grateful. Not what I didn’t do or where I didn’t go. But, ‘Hey, I get to go play for the 49ers.’ I want to be a part of this, I want to be a part of it forever. Even though I was overlooked two years ago in the draft, I’ve got an opportunity to go win a Super Bowl with the 49ers.”

When Purdy’s NFL journey began down the street at Caesars Palace, the 49ers turned in the card for the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 draft to little fanfare. He was the ninth of nine quarterbacks selected.

San Francisco hardly kicked the door down to reel in Purdy. Niners general manager John Lynch had many chances to select him sooner with five picks on the third and final day of the draft (Nos. 134, 172, 187, 220 and 221) before the draft-capper was announced.

Embed from Getty Images

Mr. Irrelevant no more, Purdy stood out to coach Kyle Shanahan very early in his rookie training camp. That’s not revisionist history.

“We had a fourth-round grade on him,” Shanahan said Monday. “You always go through and predict where guys are going to get drafted. We had a lot of holes at the time. Quarterback wasn’t really one of them.

“We knew his measurables and stuff were smaller (than the prototype quarterback). The first day of rookie minicamp he walks out and I told our coaches, ‘OK, he’s going to be fine.’ We called him Baby Bosa. He had these shortie shorts on and big, thick legs kind of like (San Francisco edge rusher Nick) Bosa.”

Team owner Jed York confessed this week Shanahan told him in August 2022 he was pretty sure the “third-sting quarterback is our best quarterback,” which turned the stomach of the CEO who invested massive draft capital and salary for the 49ers to acquire the No. 3 pick in 2021 and select Trey Lance.

San Francisco traded three first-round picks to go up from No. 12 to No. 3 and select Lance, a relative neophyte out of North Dakota State. Shanahan said now with the benefit of hindsight it was “definitely a mistake.” After two seasons and four total starts, Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in August after the 49ers were fully comfortable that Purdy’s surgically repaired right elbow was fully healthy.

Two years later, Shanahan isn’t just willing to put Purdy among the best quarterbacks he’s ever coached.

“Better. He’s better,” Shanahan said.

The numbers prove his point. Among quarterbacks with at least 20 starts (regular season and postseason combined) the past two seasons, Purdy leads the NFL during his starts with an .808 winning percentage, 9.2 yards per attempt, a 3.36-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (47-14) and a 111.2 passer rating.

–By Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Super Bowl: For Bosa, It’s Revenge

by

LAS VEGAS -(Staff and Wire Service Report) – Losing in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs four seasons ago has never slipped the mind of San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa. The defensive end said he documented his feelings and will break them out later this week as part of his preparation for Sunday’s rematch.

“No sharing but there are a couple recordings that I have,” Bosa said at Monday’s Super Bowl Opening Night. “I had some thoughts and I didn’t want to forget them so they’re in my phone.”

Bosa and the 49ers had a 10-point lead past the midway point of the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV before Kansas City scored 21 straight points to post a 31-20 victory at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Bosa scored one sack of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes in that game and is eager for more.

“What stands out is very thin margins,” said Bosa, referring to Mahomes’ quick release and escape ability. “Very grateful for the opportunity against the same team. We have to make it count this time.”

Bosa and the 49ers figure to bring pressure with the Kansas City offense sometimes having issues against physical units.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid hasn’t forgotten the struggles of dealing with Bosa and the rest of San Francisco’s front seven four years ago.

“There were some running lanes early. They closed those up,” Reid said of the previous Super Bowl. “Their front — it starts with them. They’re really good, their front four. And then two of the most athletic linebackers in the league (in Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw).”

Yet even with the 49ers’ four sacks in the game, Mahomes still made the San Francisco defense pay.

“There’s a few plays in the Super Bowl we look back at that were very big plays where he made plays with his legs,” Bosa said.

Embed from Getty Images

Bosa had 10.5 sacks this season after needing time to find his stride after a long holdout.

He agreed to a five-year, $170 million contract as the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history shortly before the season started.

“It’s definitely a weight off your back getting your second deal done and just having that out of the equation,” Bosa said. “It was a stressful time. I’m glad it’s over with.”

One season earlier, Bosa had a league-best 18.5 sacks and won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. He has 53.5 sacks in 68 regular-season games.

Bosa has 10 sacks in 11 postseason contests, including two in the NFC Championship Game when the 49ers rallied from a 17-point deficit to claim a 34-31 victory over Detroit.

Bosa isn’t the only key San Francisco defender looking to close the door on past demons.

Warner repeatedly replays the former Super Bowl loss in his mind. He intercepted Mahomes in that game but the fourth-quarter collapse is what’s at the forefront of his thoughts.

“The biggest thing I take away from that game is the game is never over until that clock hits triple zeros,” Warner said. “That’s the biggest takeaway.

“I remember guys on the sidelines in that fourth quarter real happy and excited about possibly becoming Super Bowl champions and things flipped on a dime real quick. (Kansas City) scoring 21 unanswered in about six minutes.

“That scar remains with me to this day.”

–Field Level Media

SB LVIII: Reid Will Know When It’s Time

by

LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid embraces Tommy Bahama button-town style to the extent questions about retirement no longer inspire shock and disdain.

“My mom and dad told me a long time ago, ‘You’ll know when it’s time,’” Reid said Monday at Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. “I’m here. And I’m still ready to go right now.”

But at age 65, another question might apply to Reid by Sunday night: Could he become the GOAT?

“I don’t think about that sort of thing really,” Reid said.

Reid is second in NFL history with 25 playoff wins and fourth in regular-season victories with 258. Recently unemployed Bill Belichick ranks No. 1 with 31 postseason victories and is closing in on Don Shula’s regular-season wins mark. Belichick stands at a grand total of 333 victories (302 in the regular season).

Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has coached against Belichick and worked for Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chiefs. He wouldn’t claim to have foreseen Reid chasing 300 career wins, but he did see greatness in the young coach groomed under Mike Holmgren with the Green Bay Packers.

“You knew immediately that Andy knew exactly how to do it,” Spagnuolo said Monday, adding the detail-oriented Reid has encyclopedic volumes of notes from his coaching experiences and offseason visits to college programs to keep learning and exploring what’s next. “He never looks riled. Rock solid. He never gets too high, never gets too low. Stays the course all the way through. When the coaches, the players see that — they follow.”

Embed from Getty Images

Reid snapped Kansas City’s 49-year streak without a Super Bowl appearance when the Chiefs claimed Lombardi Trophy after the 2019 season. He has taken Kansas City to four Super Bowls in the past five seasons and is pursuing his third title.

Since being hired by the Chiefs in January 2013, Reid hasn’t had a losing record in 11 seasons. No other franchise has a streak of consecutive non-losing seasons higher than five during that same window.

Fired by the Eagles in 2012 after 14 seasons in Philadelphia, Reid isn’t underappreciated in Kansas City. Before his arrival, the Chiefs hadn’t won a playoff game since January 1994, when Shula was still coaching the Miami Dolphins. Miami beat the Chiefs in the playoffs the following season.

That was one of Shula’s 347 total wins. He logged 328 victories in the regular season.

Reid stands at 283 total, 64 behind Shula’s all-time record tally.

But Reid’s 28-year-old quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is set to become the youngest to start four Super Bowls — a clip two years ahead of Tom Brady, who started his fourth at age 30 with the New England Patriots under Belichick.

With Reid — who drafted Mahomes in 2017 — they’re on a run of eight consecutive AFC West division titles and six straight AFC Championship Games.

Could Reid catch Belichick and Shula? Well, it depends.

Belichick, 71, and the Patriots split in January. Pete Carroll, 72, and the Seattle Seahawks did, too. That makes Reid the NFL’s elder statesman with his 66th birthday on March 19, six days after NFL free agency begins and less than a week before he is scheduled to represent the Chiefs at league meetings in Orlando.

Within the NFL pantheon of coaching legends, greatness narratives often are coupled with dynasty-level success, the type Reid is in the throes of with the Chiefs.

He has 37 regular-season wins and eight playoff wins in the past three seasons with a chance to get another playoff “W” this week. Including the Chiefs’ franchise-record 14 wins in 2020 (a mark they matched in 2022), Reid’s four-season totals are 51 wins, 10 in the playoffs.

For now, Reid wants to keep his focus on the next one.

He has never lost in Las Vegas (4-0 vs. the Raiders) and said the Chiefs are thanking the Raiders for the Christmas Day defeat in Kansas City that lit a spark under the team.

“We had some ups and downs throughout the year,” Reid said. “It was good to see the young guys step up and finish strong. The growth would be the biggest part of the journey.”

–By Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

Goodell Welcomed Swiftie Effect

by

LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has attended two Taylor Swift concerts with his two daughters and his wife, but chances are, he never thought his status as a “Swiftie” would bleed over into the workplace.

But it has.

Swift has taken the NFL world by storm due to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and Goodell had nothing but good things to say on Monday about the couple’s impact on football.

“Having the ‘Taylor Swift effect’ is also a positive,” Goodell told reporters. “Both Travis and Taylor are wonderful young people, and they seem very happy. She knows great entertainment, and I think that’s why she loves NFL football.

“Obviously, it creates a buzz. It creates another group of young fans, particularly young women, that are interested in seeing why she is going to this game, why she is interested in this game. Besides (her relationship with) Travis, she is a football fan, and I think that’s great for us.”

Kansas City beat the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 28, leading some fans to believe that the outcome was pre-planned in order to have Swift draw more viewers for the Super Bowl. The 14-time Grammy Award winner is expected to be in attendance when the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but Goodell made it clear that he is far from capable of cooking up such a storyline.

“I don’t think I’m that good of a scripter — or anybody on our staff,” Goodell said. “Listen, there is no way I could have scripted that one, let’s put it that way.”

Embed from Getty Images

Swift has been spotted at 12 of Kelce’s games this season, with Kansas City coming out on top in nine of them. She first attended the Chiefs’ 41-10 victory over the Chicago Bears back on Sept. 24.

Of course, there has been some backlash from the NFL’s focus on Swift over the past five months, but Goodell is hoping that she sticks around.

“I think anybody in this society, when they’re in a public position, (is) going to be subject to criticism,” Goodell said. “Taylor is obviously a dynamo. Everything she touches, there are people following. So we count ourselves fortunate and we welcome it.”

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVIII: Line Dancing for KC

by

LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Heavy early money backing the Kansas City Chiefs led to multiple changes in the betting line within 24 hours of the matchup for Super Bowl LVIII being set.

Embed from Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers opened as 2.0-point favorites shortly after storming from behind to beat the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night. However, the line dipped as low as 1.0 points at sportsbooks including DraftKings and BetMGM, where the Chiefs had been backed by 78 percent of the spread-line money as of Monday morning.

The line has since shifted back to San Francisco being favored by 1.5 points at both sportsbooks, who both have the Over/Under points total at 47.5 points. The early money at BetMGM has the Over being backed by 90 percent of the money wagered on the market.

Sportsbooks were widely pulling for the Lions to upset the 49ers, who are the biggest Super Bowl liability at many sportsbooks, and that remains the case ahead of facing the Chiefs.

“Even though early action is on the Chiefs as underdogs, the sportsbook is cheering for a Kansas City victory,” BetMGM senior trading manager Tristan David said.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the early favorite to claim his third Super Bowl MVP award. The MVP of Super Bowls LIV and LVII, Mahomes is +120 to claim No. 3 at BetMGM, where he opened the season at +1000. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is second at +220, followed by teammate Christian McCaffrey at +450.

Mahomes has drawn 20 percent of the MVP money at DraftKings, where he is also +120. Teammate Travis Kelce has far longer odds at +1200, but the tight end has been the second most popular early pick with 14 percent of the money backing him.

The most popular player prop at DraftKings has been McCaffrey at -155 to lead all players in combined rushing and receiving yards. He has also been the most popular Anytime Touchdown play despite -215 odds.

–Field Level Media