Brady or Belichick was never a real debate. You had to desperately embrace subjectivity over logic to somehow believe the head coach was more responsible. As I've mentioned, throw away the names and anything you thought you saw and merely look at the bottom line and it had to be the quarterback. Brady essentially make the Patriots immune from the low scoring to mid scoring defeat. Brady at New England lost only 34 times in 283 regular season games when the opponent scored 27 or fewer points. That is less than 1 time in every 8 games. Belichick with the Patriots before Brady as starter, and after Brady as starter, loses to 27 or fewer points 1 time in every 2 games.
I thought Buffalo vs. Kansas City was one of the least suspenseful conference championship games in recent memory. There was no contrast. No contrast means no chance. Two similar teams with one team markedly superior in every category.
I have no idea how that pointspread was only -3. That's basically saying these are even teams. Kansas City is one of those teams that wins small when you make them a big favorite and wins big when you make them a small favorite. When they are a small favorite essentially you are merely asking them to win the game. That means there is no thought process involved.
I mentioned this here at the start of the playoffs, that somehow Buffalo became the cute pick and the darling team. That's fine as long as you don't take it too far. Asking to win at Kansas City is much too far. The first meeting between these teams demonstrated a clear class edge. Plus it meant Kansas City owned the dominant Fury of Anti-Revenge angle in this rematch. As a result I had a major wager on Chiefs -1.5 in the first half. Granted, that's not the way FAR normally works...down 9-0 early. But I've wagered on that angle so many times over the decades I wasn't worried. It is the single most powerful angle in sports betting history. I have no problem saying that because I studied everything in hundreds of Excel spreadsheets over 24 years in Las Vegas. Somehow every clod can only see revenge and never contemplates that the reverse is where all the advantages are. It's no different than boxing...win the first one and you'll win the rematch more decisively.
I don't care what Mahomes does as long as it never includes an unbeaten season. The rooting interest has to begin opening week because you'll only get 2-4 legitimate chances to defeat that team every season.