When the Chiefs missed the playoffs this season, there was a lot of talk about the opportunity for a changing of the guard in the AFC.
There is still a lot to be played at the conference, but meeting the new president is very similar to the old president in one respect. The Patriots returned to the title game with a win over the Texans on Sunday, continuing a long run that has seen either New England or Kansas City decide the AFC champion.
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Next Sunday’s game at Denver will be the 15th straight conference title game involving the Patriots or Chiefs. The Patriots achieved that after the 2011-2018 seasons and beat the Chiefs in their last appearance. Patrick Mahomes would lead the Chiefs to victory the next year and they would make six more games before things got worse for them this year.
Those Patriots teams were playing quarterback Tom Brady instead of Drake May, but the 2024 first-round pick’s meteoric rise into MVP contention has raised hopes that another long streak of success is already underway in New England.