Chiefs 'only got better' says NFL reporter Olivia Harlan Dekker as she backs Patrick Mahomes and Co to be 'electric'
09/05/2024 10:02 AM
NFL reporter Olivia Harlan Dekker reckons the Kansas City Chiefs will be 'electric' this year in their bid for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat.
Patrick Mahomes and Co. kick off the 2024 season against the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night looking to retain their NFL crown.
No team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row – a feat the Chiefs have their eyes locked in on.
And Harlan Dekker, who works for Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, told The Sun, "They only got better."
"Any team in the NFL would covet their continuity on and off the field.
"Then they bring in all this wide receiver talent, which was the knock on Kansas City last year is that their defence won it for them.
"They had the No 2 defence in the NFL and the offense had to just keep them in games.
"It was Patrick Mahomes' worst season, but now they bring in all this talent.
"Xavier Worthy set a combine record for speed, he is wicked fast and he had the talent to back it up in the preseason.
"If you pair him with Patrick Mahomes, this is about to be extremely electric.
"And also Hollywood Brown, he's a veteran now but he's proven player.
"There's nothing but improvement on this Kansas City squad, and it's extremely exciting."
Travis Kelce has been front and center this offseason after his relationship with music megastar Taylor Swift blossomed.
He even appeared on stage for one of her concerts at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Kansas City handled all the off-field distractions and added attention on their way to winning last year's Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
"Everyone said 'this will ruin the Chiefs and this will ruin Travis' but that was all last year," Harlan Dekker said.
"This year I think they've proven it's a non-factor.
When you win this much your stars who were good players in the NFL all of a sudden become these megastars outside of the sport.
"Rob Gronkowski is a good example, he was just a great tight end but then he took on this persona off the field.
"It's no distraction for them. Andy Reid is no-nonsense but such a father figure and nobody wants to disappoint him.
"They're not ones to succumb to pressure at all and they seem to be onto a secret that none of us know."
Harlan Dekker is the daughter of iconic broadcaster Kevin Harlan and will cover the NFL for UK rights holders Sky again this season.
Reflecting on last season, she said, "I've now been in the NFL 10 years and for that year 10 to be capped off with my first Super Bowl participating in was truly a career highlight.
There's nothing but improvement on this Kansas City squad, and it's extremely exciting
Olivia Harlan Dekker
"If you get into this business, and specifically the NFL, the goal is the Super Bowl.
"It was so exciting, but of course like anything it makes you just want more.
"Now I don't say 'I did the Super Bowl, check' I say 'that was my first Super Bowl' and I hope to be doing this for a long, long time."
Sky Sports continues to be the home of the NFL in the UK & Ireland with 118 games broadcast across the season and two exclusive games every Sunday. Bringing fans best-in-class analysis and innovation from Sky's state-of-the-art studio and out on the road.
