While Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are still a dynasty and one of the best teams in the league, the Los Angeles Chargers and their fans had to love the fact the Philadelphia Eagles thrashed them 40-22 in Super Bowl 59. The domination was so thorough that Kansas City trailed 34-0 at one point.
Unlike past seasons, Kansas City is entering the offseason with a great deal of uncertainty. The Chargers, who made the playoffs in their first season under Jim Harbaugh, are on the rise as they try to surround Justin Herbert with the pieces he needs to finally break through in the AFC.
The Chargers have all the reason in the world to believe they can be the team that finally breaks Kansas City's lock on the division. Looking forward to 2025, LA has the momentum it needs now that the Chiefs' veil of impregnability has been pierced.
3 reasons Chargers can unseat Chiefs after Super Bowl 59 loss
3. The Chiefs O-line is degrading
The Chiefs have two All-Pro locks in Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey, but the rest of the line is in flux. Guard Trey Smith is a free agent who will cash in, second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia looks like a waste of a pick, and Jawaan Taylor has vastly underperformed his contract.
As the Eagles proved, getting pressure on Mahomes could be enough to force him into a bad decision in which he tries too hard to make a play. Without one of the best offensive lines in the league, Jesse Minter's new-look defense might be able to force Mahomes into more poor plays.
2. The Chiefs coaching staff could be broken up
The Chiefs have a very solid foundation, as any team led by Andy Reid is going to be well-coached. However, both offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could be on much shakier ground. This is great news for the Chargers.
Spagnuolo is generating more head coach interest than in past seasons, and a team hiring him away from Kansas City could ruin their aggressive unit. Nagy may not call plays, but he has to be on thin ice after that horror show. With Reid's age also playing a factor, this group may not stay together for much longer.
1. Justin Herbert is ascending
Herbert has deservedly been lit on fire by social media by exceeding his 2024 regular season interception total in a ghoulish postseason loss against the Texans, but that doesn't negate the fact that LA is positioned to ride one of the best quarterbacks in the game to another postseason birth.
Betting against a smart young quarterback with a bazooka of a right arm that finally has some quality coaching structure in place is not a wager many in the league should be making. Mahomes and the Chiefs are good, but they are either static or in decline. Herbert, meanwhile, will keep getting better alongside an offense that will assuredly surround him with playmakers.