Chiefs 'three-peat' would close gap on Patriots in 'dynasty' rankings

NEW ORLEANS: If Patrick Mahomes can lead the Kansas City Chiefs to an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl victory when they face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (Feb 9), expect the debate over the NFL's greatest-ever dynasty to heat up.

On the face of it, the Chiefs still have some way to go to catch what is widely recognised as the greatest dynasty - the New England Patriots in the era of quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

That pairing delivered six Super Bowl titles while the partnership of head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes will claim their fourth if they can overcome the Eagles and their powerful running game.

But a case can be made that the Patriots dynasty was in fact two separate periods, given there was a decade gap between their 2004 triumph over the Eagles in Jacksonville and their 2014 victory against Seattle in Arizona.

However, even in the 10 years without a Super Bowl win, the Patriots were a near-constant challenger - reaching the Super Bowl twice and never missing out on the playoffs.

For Rob Gronkowski, the former Patriots tight end who won four Super Bowls with Brady and Belichick, there is no question that the Chiefs still have some way to go to better New England's legacy.

"I don’t think they're closing in on everything we've accomplished in our dynasty because it was over two decades. You had that first dynasty decade, from like 2002-2010 ... then it trickled into the second decade," he told the Rich Eisen Show.

Gronkowski, though, generously acknowledged that the Chiefs have done something unique.

"What they've done over the last 10 years, I believe, (is) the best decade of dominance from a dynasty, especially if they get the three-peat," he said.

There is, however, a tendency for