In terms of Kansas City Chiefs playoff history, consider linebacker Nick Bolton and other young-ish players like him part of the greatest, most fortunate generation. There is an entire era of Chiefs players—those drafted or signed in, say, the past five seasons—who win playoff games as easily as brushing their teeth, or driving to work on a day featuring ideal weather and open roads. Which isn’t to say that their pursuit has been easy. It only seems that way.
Consider Bolton within that calculus. In high school, even while playing for the powerhouse Lone Star Rangers in Frisco, Texas, each of his four seasons ended the same way, with another postseason defeat. In the NFL, Bolton is 11–1 in the postseason. Which isn’t to say his presence hasn’t mattered. Without him, the Chiefs aren’t 11–1 in their past four playoff runs. They haven’t won two Super Bowls in those seasons, with a three-peat possible on Sunday.
