The Kansas City Chiefs begin their quest to become the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles in their playoff opener against the Houston Texans on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC/ESPN+) .
If Kansas City's regular season is any indication, there's a good chance the AFC West champion will get the job done. The Chiefs have a 15-2 record, including a nine-game winning streak to start the season. While winning two Super Bowls in a row is extremely difficult, a three-peat is rare in all major sports.
In the NBA/MLB/NHL/WNBA, 14 teams have won three consecutive championships.
There have been nine times in NFL history when teams won consecutive Super Bowls, but no team returned to the big game the following season.
The Green Bay Packers first played back-to-back games in 1966 and 1967, while the Pittsburgh Steelers played back-to-back in the 1970s. The Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in the 1990s. Only one team — the Buffalo Bills — made it to the Super Bowl four years in a row, although they lost each time.
Here's a look back at how each team performed during the upcoming season.
Green Bay Packers, 1968
The Packers were dominant in the 1960s, winning two Super Bowls and three championships before the AFL and NFL merged to create the Super Bowl.
After winning the championship in 1967, Green Bay underwent major changes. Vince Lombardi resigned as coach and Phil Bengtson became the leading man. Bengtsen spent nine seasons managing Lombardi's defense, turning it into one of the best in the NFL.
In his first season, Bengtsen didn't replicate Lombardi's success. The Packers were 6-7 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1964.
The Dolphins won two consecutive championships under legendary coach Don Shula, including an undefeated season in 1972. In 1974, Miami still had a strong season, going 11-3 and winning the AFC East. The Dolphins made the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, but lost to the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round.
Pittsburgh Steelers, 1976
In 1976, the Steelers were within striking distance of a three-peat.
Pittsburgh started 1-4 but won nine straight the rest of the regular season. It won the AFC Central Division and defeated the Baltimore Colts in the divisional round.
However, the Steelers lost in the division title game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Raiders.
Pittsburgh Steelers, 1979
Although the Steelers came very close in 1976, a chance at a three-peat was eluded after winning back-to-back games for the second time.
Pittsburgh struggled in October, losing three straight games and being unable to recover. The Steelers finished with a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1971.
San Francisco 49ers, 1990
In Joe Montana's final season with the team, the 49ers were on a strong run to win three straight championships.
After going 14-2 in 1989, San Francisco had the same record the next season. They started 10-0 and Montana won his second straight MVP.
That strong regular season led to our third straight trip to the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers lost 15-13 to the New York Giants, who outscored the defending champions 6-0 in the fourth quarter.
Jimmy Johnson and the Cowboys parted ways after winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1992-1993. But Dallas didn't miss a beat, hiring Barry Switzer as coach.
The Cowboys went 12-4 for the second consecutive season and reached the NFC Championship Game. However, the American team performed poorly and lost to the 49ers 38-28. San Francisco wins its third Super Bowl in seven years.
Denver Broncos, 1999
In 1999, the Broncos were in trouble. John Elway retired in the offseason and running back Terrell Davis played just four games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Denver started 2-6 and finished 6-10, its fewest wins in a season since 1990.
New England's third Super Bowl title in four years in 2005 left New England with a bit of a hangover. It started 5-4, then gradually heated up and ended 10-6. Tom Brady threw for a career-high 4,110 yards and tied a career-high in interceptions (14).
The Patriots swept the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round but fell to the Broncos in the next round.