The Kansas City Chiefs are world champions yet again. With three Super Bowl titles in five years, Patrick Mahomes and Co. may well be unmatched in their Lombardi-hunting glory among today's NFL teams. But that doesn't mean the rest of the league can't learn something from this year's champs, as well as the runner-up San Francisco 49ers.
Here are three key lessons the other 30 teams can take away from Super Bowl LVIII:
1. There's more than one way to do it at QB
The Chiefs and 49ers are perfect examples of the dual path to title contention under center: 1.) acquiring and/or developing a transcendent quarterback, or 2.) supporting a QB with an all-star setup. Both are far easier said than done -- only two of 32 teams reach the Super Bowl, after all -- but plenty of teams should be able to take solace in the fact this isn't a one-size-fits-all reality.
Mahomes is one of a small handful of signal-callers capable of elevating any and everything around him. The goal for every team, at all times, should be trying to identify QBs close to his caliber. Sometimes that means trading up for a prospect even when a passable veteran is already in place. On the flip side, what if teams spent more time supporting existing QBs rather than rushing to replace them? Purdy, not so unlike Jalen Hurts the year prior, is on an elite trajectory, but only because his team was patient enough to see him get a full audition. He also reached the big stage primarily because he had a beautifully assembled lineup in which to operate. Again, neither route is seamless. But in a culture and league of instant gratification and quickly forgotten results, both paths to success at QB -- scouting, cultivating, elevating greatness -- tend to require patience and adaptability.
2. Defense and special teams still matter
It's an offensive league. It's better to have an elite QB than an elite anything else. We all know that. But if there are only five or six signal-callers capable of consistently conquering their circumstances, it stands to reason most teams will have to dominate elsewhere. And both the Chiefs and 49ers reached the Super Bowl because they boasted fast, physical defense. In fact, while Mahomes and Travis Kelce will draw the headlines, the single biggest reason for K.C. claiming a third title in five years was Steve Spagnuolo's unit, which surrendered fewer than 16 points per game throughout the playoffs.
The Chiefs obviously have the benefit of Mahomes making do without a pricey offensive setup, but even then, their hit rate on organically grown defensive stars like Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Nick Bolton and L'Jarius Sneed is impressive. Ditto for San Francisco, with Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Fred Warner all early-round investments who paid off. Throw in the kickers -- Harrison Butker and Jake Moody, who were perfect on a combined seven field goals in the Super Bowl -- and you've got a blatant reminder that football remains a true team sport. Defense and special teams dominated the first half of this year's title game, and they'll remain pivotal components worthy of offseason attention moving forward.
3. Ball security can trump splashy production
Some of the best Super Bowls of all time have featured high-scoring shootouts; think Super Bowl LII, when Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles outdueled Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, 41-33; or Super Bowl LVII, when Mahomes and the Chiefs outlasted Hurts and the Eagles, 38-35. But this year's championship, a 25-22 defensive affair that nearly hit double-zeroes in overtime, was evidence that methodical movement can be just as important as offensive "explosion."
We've seen the Mahomes-led Chiefs do it both ways. When No. 15 first came on the scene, K.C. was bombs away, lighting up stat sheets and scoreboards alike. But Andy Reid's squad has since adopted (perfected?) the more efficient style of offense deployed by the late-stage Brady-led Patriots dynasty. Sometimes it looks ugly. But it often proves clutch, bleeding the clock with manageable completions and turnover-averse decisions when the game matters most. Recall that neither the Chiefs nor the 49ers really took the top of the opposing defense in Super Bowl LVIII, and yet both went down to the wire for the NFL's ultimate prize.
This should be most encouraging to teams who've relied on more traditional pocket passers, like the Detroit Lions with Jared Goff or the Minnesota Vikings with Kirk Cousins. Those QBs may not be uber-electric off-script difference-makers, but they've proven repeatedly they're among the game's best at managing an offense, minimizing mistakes, controlling the rock. The Chiefs and 49ers going toe to toe for the Lombardi on Sunday means those kinds of QBs can still have a place in the game. And maybe, just maybe, if their organizations outfit them with enough help on both sides of the ball, they too can contend for it all.
