Looking ahead to this 2024 NFL season, all eyes were on the Kansas City Chiefs.
Winners of consecutive Super Bowls. Stars bigger than the game itself on the roster. Most importantly, NFL history is at stake as the potential first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
The pressure was immense for this Kansas City team, but as the regular season came to a close, the Chiefs became the AFC’s number one seed, co-owners of the NFL’s best record at 15-2.
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Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey celebrates after a score against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Images by Denny Medley-Imagn)
But throughout the season, there was a large contingent of fans who jeered as the wins piled up, downplayed the team’s success because of how close the wins were, and the old conspiracy theory that “the referees were on their side.”
So, as the Chiefs prepare for their divisional round matchup this week against the Houston Texans, Pak Gazette Digital wondered what the players themselves thought about their regular season amid this enormous pressure and scrutiny, even as the record speaks for itself. yes only at the end.
What is being overlooked on this team?
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“I would say the resilience of this team,” three-time Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey told Pak Gazette Digital while discussing his role, along with teammates Chris Jones and Xaviery Worthy, in the “Crash the Super” ad campaign. Bowl” of Doritos. “Fighting through close games, one-score games, two-minute drives to win games. Defensive stops to win games. All those situations where we show up and play our best game. That comes with the work you’ve put in throughout the season. low, during training camp, all that stuff.
“That resilience that you build during those dog days in camp and stuff. It shows week after week for us, and it’s something we practice a lot: those critical situations. I’m glad I was able to step up.”
Jones, the Chiefs’ defensive captain and devastating defensive tackle, was in complete agreement with Humphrey, especially given the injury bug that forced many to step up during the season.
“We had a lot of players go down, a lot of important players go down throughout the season,” Jones explained, referring to the offense with Rashee Rice, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Isiah Pacheco suffering serious injuries.
“We’ve been able to adjust and continue to build on that, and that’s not an easy task. When your best wide receiver goes down, your starting running back goes down. There are a lot of factors that can play into that. We’ve been able to continue to build and we’ve faced a lot of adversity this season.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones leaves the field after the game against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Images by Denny Medley-Imagn)
One of those players is Worthy, the Chiefs’ first-round pick who set a new NFL Scouting Combine record in the 40-yard dash. Worthy’s speed has been a weapon for head coach Andy Reid in his offense, and while it took him some time to acclimate to the NFL, his chemistry with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has improved as the week leading up to this last playoff.
Fighting adversity in the NFL, specifically when a key player goes down, means the next man up has to step up. That has been Worthy, who is ready to continue building a successful regular season.
“I’m just looking to be myself,” Worthy said of his first trip to the playoffs. “Continue to build and grow as a player in this league. I feel like that’s the most important thing, where guys get in trouble is [when] they look at the end goal versus their own journey. “I just want to take it week by week and do what I do.”
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Worthy is a prime example of what Jones pointed out about this group of Chiefs: strong character.
Character has been built by winning 15 straight one-score games like the Chiefs did, dating back to last season. When detractors viewed Kansas City’s games in a negative light, the team was the exact opposite.
The blocked field goal against the Denver Broncos to remain undefeated was no fluke. Nick Bolton crashing on fourth-and-short against the Atlanta Falcons to ice a win wasn’t because he knew what was coming.
Sure, there is luck that has come to the Chiefs this season. Isaiah Likely’s toe off the field in Week 1 on a game-tying touchdown on the final play of the game? Yes, it was a little bit of luck that affected the Chiefs, but sometimes that’s what happens in this crazy game.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy gains yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. (Images by Barry Reeger-Imagn)
The pressure, the naysayers and anything else that may be looking negatively at the Chiefs will only increase as they chase the story.
But these Chiefs players will continue to look past what has become a New England Patriots-level villain role.
“I think it gives us a competitive advantage knowing that everyone is against us. Knowing that no one wants us to win,” Jones said. “…For me personally, I feel like it gives us an advantage against everyone else because we feel like we’re against the world.”
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While Super Bowl commercials are always the highlight of the “Big Game,” Jones, Humphrey and Worthy can all agree that they don’t want to watch them until after they air. That means they were playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
But these Chiefs did get to see some fan-created ads that are part of Doritos’ iconic Crash the Super Bowl campaign, which is a competition that challenges fans to make better commercials than advertisers because millions believe they can.
These Chiefs were able to preview the semi-finalists, including the three ads that were chosen as finalists for this $1 million competition.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones introduces himself before a game against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Images by Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn)
“There were several ads that I really thoroughly enjoyed…I think they all had their own special uniqueness,” Jones said. “It was a fun environment where we were able to select them as a team, laugh about it, criticize each of them. But also feel very involved in the process.”
Humphrey added, “Every person in the room likes different pieces of each commercial. So that’s the cool thing. The fans did a great job this year making these commercials.”
