The Kansas City Chiefs bid for an unprecedented three-peat in the Super Bowl era came to a closing halt losing 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, but despite the loss, it has been a remarkable seven-year run the Chiefs have enjoyed.
In the past seven seasons, 2018-2024, the Chiefs won three Super Bowls, made five Super Bowl appearances and made the AFC Conference Championship game seven consecutive seasons and compiled a 90-26-0 regular season record.
To extend that even further, in the past 10 years, 2015-2024, the Chiefs have made the post-season every year and compiled a 123-41-0 regular season record. But how do the Chiefs run of success compare to others in the Super Bowl era? Glad you asked as we’ll look at the greatest runs of success in the Super Bowl era.
The greatest single season in the Super Bowl era is an easy choice. There have been 59 Super Bowl champions, but only one team went undefeated in the regular season and went on to win the Super Bowl, that being the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
Nine teams have won back-to-back Super Bowl titles: Green Bay in 1966 and 1967, Miami in 1972 and 1973, Pittsburgh in 1974 and 1975, Pittsburgh again in 1978 and 1979, San Francisco in 1988 and 1989, Dallas in 1992 and 1993, Denver in 1997 and 1998, New England in 2003 and 2004, and Kansas City in 2022 and 2023.
Of those nine teams, boosted by their undefeated season in 1972, Don Shula’s Dolphins had a 26-2 record which is the best two-year run of all for a winning percentage of .929. The 2003 and 2004 New England Patriots were the next best going 28-4 for a winning percentage of .875.
Since no team has won three consecutive Super Bowls, the next best result is to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls and win two of them, and only three teams have accomplished that
Miami 1971-1973 compiled a 36-5-1 record for a winning percentage of .869. New England 2016-2018 compiled a 38-10 record for a winning percentage of .792, and Kansas City from 2022-2024 compiled a 40-11 record for a winning percentage of .784. As the won-loss record indicates, the Dolphins had the most impressive three-year run.
The best four-year stretch in NFL history belong to Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys. From 1992-1995, the Cowboys were the only team in the Super Bowl era to win three Super Bowls in four years and they also made it to the conference championship game in 1994, the year they did not make the Super Bowl.
Two franchises vie for the best five-year run in the Super Bowl era. The New England Patriots from 2014-2018 appeared in four Super Bowls, winning three, and lost in a conference championship game the year they didn’t reach the Super Bowl.
The Kansas City Chiefs from 2019-2023 did the exact same thing, appearing in four Super Bowls, winning three, and losing in a conference championship game the year they failed to reach the Super Bowl. So how do you determine who had the best five-year run? The Patriots went 62-18 for a winning percentage of .775. The Chiefs were 63-20 for a winning percentage of .759. The winning percentage edge goes to the Patriots.
As for the best six-year run in the Super Bowl era, only one team won four Super Bowls in six years, that being the 1974-1979 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers also made it to a fifth conference championship game during that time and made the post-season each year.
The best seven-year run also belongs to the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1973-1979 with four Super Bowl victories, appearing in five conference championship games and seven consecutive post-seasons.
There’s no change for the best eight-year run in the Super Bowl era. The Pittsburgh Steelers from 1972-1979 won four Super Bowls, appeared in six conference