Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, each took to social media to respond to claims that the team is “lucky.”
After a narrow Week 14 victory — clinched by a field goal that bounced off the uprights and in — critics, including prominent sports pundits like Skip Bayless, questioned whether Kansas City’s success in close games was due to good fortune.
“If I were the Chiefs, I’d be concerned I’m using up every one of my 9 lives – all my luck – during the regular season,” Bayless wrote on X after the Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers to secure the AFC West. Other fans and commentators chimed in, suggesting “black magic” or sheer luck had fueled the Chiefs’ dominance in tight contests.
Brittany Mahomes addressed these claims on Instagram the following day, sharing photos from the Chiefs’ Sunday Night Football win with a caption that read: “If you’re not laughing at this point, you’re no fun.” Her post garnered nearly 60,000 likes within six hours.
Patrick Mahomes did not directly comment on the debate in his wife’s post but responded with four heart-eye emojis.
On his own Instagram story, however, the Chiefs quarterback shared a clip from a past appearance on Capital One’s “The Match,” where he joked: “I told you I’m going to make it good T.V., it’s just what I do. You’ve never seen me win a blowout. I just keep it real close till the end.”
The fan who tagged Mahomes in the clip also added: “Another yr another divisional LFG.” Mahomes reposting the clip after Week 14 seemed anything but coincidental.
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Reflects on Close Victories in 2024
When asked about the team’s series of close wins this season, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid offered an honest assessment.
“Yeah, it’s unique,” Reid said. “It’s a unique year.”
“[Well], they’re all unique,” he continued, noting the high number of tight games. “We’ve been able to battle through some things to get these victories. I’m sure we’ll continue to do that.”
Reid credited the team’s “senior leadership” in the locker room, which he noticed during training camp. “One of the things I came out of training camp with was that kind of senior leadership,” he said.
The veteran players’ mental toughness, Reid explained, has influenced the younger players on the roster. “They see how we do things, and they try to work themselves into it. We don’t have as many reps with [those younger players], but they kind of take on that personality. They work through it the best they can.”
Reid’s comments highlight the “winning culture” in Kansas City, a standard established by the coaching staff and veteran leaders like Mahomes, Chris Jones, and Travis Kelce.
Fans and Analysts Push Back Against ‘Luck’ Narrative
Many in Chiefs Kingdom and beyond rejected the notion that Kansas City’s success is purely due to luck.
“The Chiefs have won 15 straight one-score games. If you’re calling this luck, you’re just a hater,” Arrowhead Pride’s Mark Gunnels wrote. “I could see if it was three or four in a row, but 15? Nah, they’re just clutch.”
Former Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel echoed this sentiment on FOX Sports One’s The Facility. “First of all, the Chiefs are not lucky… they’re callused,” he said. “I’m sick and tired of the luck vs. the refs vs. [etc.]. They’re just a good team. They find ways to win the football game week in and week out, year in and year out, for nine straight seasons.”
FOX Sports One’s Colin Cowherd added that consistent success in high-pressure situations is “not luck, it’s a business model.”
Kay Adams of FanDuel Sports Network’s Up & Adams praised the Chiefs for finding ways to win, saying, “When the chips are down, it is Mahomes, Kelce [and] the whole team coming up clutch.”
