Kansas City Chiefs played Call of Duty to bond in lead-up to Super Bowl

Two wide receivers, both rookies to the Kansas City Chiefs’ team in 2019, will make up their starting roster when they take the field on Sunday for their fourth Super Bowl in four years. JuJuSmith-Schuster is an All-Pro wide receiver who signed free from Pittsburgh. Marquez Valdez-Scantling was also signed from Green Bay and accounted for 120 catches and 1,620 receiving yard and five touchdowns during the 2022 season. Smith-Schuster explains that the close bond between Valdez–Scantling and quarterback Patrick Mahomes was formed through Call of Duty.

“I put in a lot of work, man; I put in a lot, a lot, a lot of Call of Duty hours with Patrick Mahomes, [tight end] Travis Kelce, and Marquez, baby,” Smith-Schuster said during Tuesday’s Super Bowl media day, a notoriously anything-goes event where all kinds of questions are asked and answered.

But, taken at face value, playing a first-person shooter multiplayer with his new quarterback and Kelce, Mahomes’ No. 1 target, helped build the kind of communication that NFL’s best receiving tandems ride to a championship.

“A lot of COD hours, man. We’re dropping down, the communication’s on point, we’ve been working, man, day in and day out,” Smith-Schuster said.

Smith-Schuster stated in October that Valdez-Scantling (he), Kelce and Mahomes had won three consecutive matches. Warzone: The Call of Duty (Played on Rebirth island map). The day before, a 44-23 road triumph over the San Francisco 49ers.

“It kind of just led into this game and it showed on the field,” Smith-Schuster said then. “We all land in, once we get our guns, we’re working together […] the communication is like, ‘Let’s move upstairs, let’s go here,’ That’s where it all started out.

After the Chiefs dealt four-time All Pro Tyreek Hill to Miami in March 2022, Smith-Schuster was signed and Valdez–Scantling was also signed. Hill had 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns, with 111 receptions. The volume approach to replacing Hill’s contributions apparently worked; the Chiefs again led the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and total points.

Kansas City is the underdog in Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII —but not by much. By 1.5 points, the Philadelphia Eagles is the favourite according to the sports books. EA Sports’ annual simulation of the big game with Madden NFL 23 It was called for a huge Eagles win at 31-17.

Madden’s record picking the Super Bowl has been hit-or-miss lately, mostly missing, and Kansas City is in something of a dynasty, making the last five AFC championship games, winning three of them, and also winning Super Bowl LIV in February 2020.