The Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots 20-18 in one of the classic playoff games of the 21st century. The Broncos' historic defense propelled them to their fourth Super Bowl triumph -- a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. This would be Peyton Manning's final season as an NFL player as he bade goodbye as the all-time leader in most passing categories.
The New England Patriots put on a clinic in their sixth straight AFC Championship game appearance, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17. The team overcame Brady's suspension over Deflategate to reach Super Bowl LI. They would go on to stage a 25-point comeback and take the game in overtime in perhaps the most fairytale comeback of all time.
The 2017 New England Patriots made their second straight Super Bowl after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20. Buoyed by their improbable Superbowl LI win, the Patriots sealed the no. 1 seed with a 13-3 record before beating the Tennessee Titans 35-14 in the Divisional Round. However, the Philadelphia Eagles overcame Brady's 500-yard game to take home the franchise's first ever Super Bowl.
This was the first playoff installment of the incredible Tom Brady-Patrick Mahomes rivalry. Brady and his Patriots edged out an overtime win at Arrowhead Stadium to make their 3rd straight Super Bowl. The 2018 New England Patriots had a 11-5 record - a slump of sorts. That didn't prevent them from closing the doors on the Los Angeles Rams and winning their 6th Super Bowl ring, 13-3.
The Kansas City Chiefs were able to exorcise their demons against the New England Patriots with a 35-24 win over the Tennessee Titans. Andy Reid would go on to win his first Super Bowl as Patrick Mahomes and co beat the San Francisco 49ers at the Super Bowl, putting an end to the franchise's drought.
Kansas City returned to their third straight AFC Championship game in 2020 after putting up a 14-2 record and getting the no. 1 seed. They beat the Cleveland Browns 22-17 in the Division round before beating the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the AFC Championship. Mahomes would, however, suffer a humiliating 9-31 loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers as Brady racked up his 7th Super Bowl title.
Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals to their first 3 playoff wins in 31 years in the 2021 postseason. They eked out wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and the Tennessee Titans before beating the Chiefs in overtime at Arrowhead Stadium. However, the Bengals ended up losing the Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Chiefs were able to exact revenge on the Cincinnati Bengals for their 2021 AFC Championship defeat this year, winning the AFC Championship 23-20. They returned to the no. 1 seed in 2022 with a 14-3 record on the back of an MVP season from Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional round before a 38-35 Super Bowl triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Kansas City Chiefs battled a bit of 'adversity' - if you can call it that - this year. They finished the regular season 11-6 and played at Buffalo in the Divisional Round before traveling to Baltimore for the AFC Championship. But Patrick Mahomes maintained his irresistible January form and led them to their third Super Bowl trophy after they beat Baltimore in the 2023 AFC Championship game.
The Kansas City Chiefs booked their 5th Super Bowl appearance in six years with a nailbiting 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills. The no. 1 seeded Chiefs had a robust 15-2 record during the regular season, losing only one game while starting 3-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. They beat the Houston Texans 23-14 in the Divisional Round this year.
