Danan Hughes | Former Chiefs WR; Current Color Analyst

Hey Mel, Bri here. Gotta work from home today because the whole family caught a nasty- Daddy! Hey, Mikey!

If you're gonna puke, find the popcorn bowl! But my availability is 110%. Coincidentally, so is my fever.

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Just use Instacart, Brian. A peanut butter M&M's production. In a world where Super Bowl winners get the world's admiration and a fancy ring, but the runners-up get nothing, one retired cop returns- That's one retired quarterback. Read the script.

Oh, sorry. One retired quarterback returns to claim what's his. Um, that's claim a ring with diamonds made from M&M's peanut butter.

But you're on a roll. The Ring of Comfort, coming soon to a Super Bowl new you. We are pleased to welcome from Las Vegas, Dana Hughes, who's a former Chiefs wide receiver himself, as well as the longtime radio analyst with Mitch Holtus on Chiefs Radio Network.

Dana, this is the third one in five years. This is fairly rarified air for football teams, though it's right on the heels of the Patriots dynasty. But I want to know, how is this Super Bowl title different?

So I would say, you know, I've been asked the question about which one is more closer to my heart. I'd say the first Super Bowl against the Niners. If you remember Super Bowl 54, where we beat the Niners the first time we faced them, I feel like because of the drought that we had from not only Super Bowls, but from playoff wins, that one was more closer to my heart.

But if you're talking about impressive, this one was more impressive to me because of what, how we got here. The fact that we, you know, we had a league-leading drops and 38 dropout wide receivers and tight ends and Pat McClellan didn't necessarily have the most efficient season. But yet we were able to kind of correct things after losing to the Raiders on Christmas Day.

Everything else kind of came into place in the right time. I feel like this one is the more impressive feat when you add in the fact that he had to go to Buffalo on the road, even though he got criticized for not playing a playoff road game when he was never eligible to play a playoff road game and then going to Baltimore and then doing the same against that highly vaulted team defense as well. Like I feel like this one was the more impressive feat going what, 74 minutes and 57 seconds to win the Super Bowl, made it one of the most epic Super Bowls of all time. I'm sitting here and my cousin who's a Miners fan, Melissa, she's throwing lemons at me as we're sitting in the hotel here because she's still upset. But Amy, you know how you, you're not upset at the Super Bowl is when you win. When you win, you're not upset. I'm not upset at all.

You're not throwing lemons when you win. No. Right.

Okay. So Dana didn't really seem like they found much of a rhythm, maybe through the first two thirds of the season. So when did it change? I don't know if there was a specific time on the field where it changed, but I will tell you that it changed with the mindset. And I want to go back to and I want to say it was right around that Raiders game where I feel like that was like a crossroads time for this entire team, not just the wide receivers, but what specifically happened towards the latter part of the season is that Patrick Mahomes stood at the podium and he was asked about the inefficiencies of the wide receivers and the drops and how it affected him. And I thought, when you talk about Patrick Mahomes, you wonder, okay, how can this kid get any better?

And to me, what he showed this year was how he got better with maturity and leadership, because when he stood at the podium and he took on that question, he specifically said, you know what? I get it. You guys see what happens on Sundays, Mondays, and occasional Thursdays.

You see the drop. And I understand some of the criticism, but I see the work. I see what these guys do Monday through Saturday in preparation for games. I see the commitment that they have to their craft. And because of that, not because of the end result that we're all frustrated with, but because of that work and that commitment, they're always going to get opportunities from me. They're always going to have opportunities for passage from me.

I'm not going to go away from them. And we've been through the times in the NFL where we've heard the stories of the Tom Brady's and the Peyton Manning's and other great quarterbacks where if a guy dropped the ball, they would never see the ball again. We've seen some of the old school coaches that cut guys because they fumbled or dropped balls. And I thought it was such a mature position from a young player in Patrick Mahomes where he said, you know what? I'm trusting these guys.

Even if you guys don't, I see what the work they put in and therefore they're always going to have my support. And then lo and behold, how do we win the game in Baltimore? A pass to Marc Lezard, who's had, you know, some significant drops this season. The two scores in the Super Bowl, Amy, go to MBS and McCole Hardman, who was a cast off from the Jets. So when you talk about how did you get to this point and how you're able to hoist that Lombardi trophy, it starts with Patrick Mahomes, or at least that's one of the key components.

And it starts at the trust factor and the maturity factor that really is impressive to me. Dana Hughes is with us from Las Vegas, soaking up a few more hours before he heads back to Kansas City. Former Chiefs wide receiver himself and longtime member of the radio broadcast along with Mitch Holtz.

It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. A lot was made of the, we'll call it the conversation, the strongly worded conversation between Travis Kelcey and Andy Reid. And Kelcey did bump his coach.

It almost seemed like Andy lost his balance. Why is that not a big deal for those two? Because they're both downplaying it. Yeah, I'd say this, the relationship that they have is different than maybe what people may perceive from the outside or assume. And then also the regard and respect that we've seen. So when you have Travis Kelcey and he's been around this team, this organization for so long, Andy Reid and the 11 years that he's been here, like you have to, you have to weigh that as a factor in any kind of dust up or any kind of conversation or whatever you may deem it to be. Because we all have families, we all have friendships, we all have relationships that had there been a camera in the face of us with any of those that we've had for 10 plus years, you probably would see some similar reactions.

So I feel like because it's on the camera, it's blown up. But you also have to recognize that there's a regard and respect that he has. I mean, you go back to the story about why Kansas City even drafted Travis Kelcey and Jason Kelcey being a factor in that. And Andy Reid coming from Philadelphia and drafting Jason and then talking to Jason about whether he should draft Travis. There's a lot more meat on the bone than just what we see on an occasional dust up on the sidelines.

So I feel like, yeah, because we see it, it should be talked about. But I think also you have two guys that are very transparent. They're not cliche guys. Andy Reid is very transparent. Travis Kelcey with his podcast, very transparent.

Like we should believe them and what they say. That's the hottest, most heated moment and the most important game of their career. Like sometimes those things happen as a former player.

I recognize it and I don't necessarily put a lot of stock into it. Andy is now the oldest coach in the NFL, obviously at the top of his profession with the third ring as a head coach in five years. Not to mention going back to his coordinator and assistant coach days and how successful he's been. His coaching tree is incredibly successful as well around the league. John Harbaugh being one of those guys. Why does it still work for him with so many young athletes at 65 years old?

You know what? I think it's just about a, a regard and a respect. Uh, I've always said, and you can take this to the bank, Amy, when you watch the, a lot can be said about a coach, not from the X's and O's, but from the postgame handshake. Watch how coaches interact with other coaches at the handshake. And that will tell you a lot about their integrity or tell you a lot about the character. And they'll tell you a lot about the regard and respect that they have. And through a man, through a game, through a coach, you look through Andy's career, there's never a cold handshake.

There's never an altercation. There's never anything bitter that happens at midfield, whether we win or lose or whether he has won or lost. That tells you about the regard that he has around the league. And I feel like not a lot of coaches recognize that they don't recognize that importance.

Maybe they get caught up in the emotion of the game, but Andy is steady. And I feel like that respect that he's garnered from other coaches or within that NFL community tells a lot about him. So when you have coordinators like Matt Nagy, that goes away to the Chicago Bears, tries to live his dream as a head coach, doesn't do well, but has a regard and respect didn't leave any crazy circumstances and comes back. And now he's able to win another Super Bowl with this organization.

We've heard those different stories, players like McCole Hardman going to the chest and then being welcomed back and making a key play in the Super Bowl. Like there's so much that you can say about Andy Reid as a person, and I think that makes him such a great coach because players recognize that. I'm a former player. I recognize how you act at midfield with other coaches. I recognize what you say at the podium during the week as you prepare for games. I recognize if you're a guy that says, hey, don't give anybody bulletin board material as a player, but then you go out and you say something crazy on the podium and you are conflicting yourself.

So with that being said, I just feel like Andy carries himself as a true pro and players recognize that and want to follow that kind of leadership. Megan Hughes is with us from Las Vegas, generally the home of the Raiders, but right now the home of the Super Bowl champions. Well, at least they made it their home on Sunday night.

It's after hours on CBS Sports Radio. Amy, Amy, we've actually made this our home for the last four years. I mean, this is Arrowhead West.

We've won all the games out here. We took over their facility. We win the first postseason game in their facility before they have got to smoke cigars and pop champagne in their locker room. I feel like there's going to be a renaming of this facility by the end of the year.

It probably should be Arrowhead West. I remember when I went to the first Super Bowl that went into overtime, what it felt like inside the stadium and what you see inside the stadium is so different than what you see on TV. So how much of say the halftime show Usher did you get to see and some of the other elements that kind of dress up the Super Bowl? It's good for me because from a radio perspective during the Chiefs Radio Network and broadcasting the game, once halftime hits, I'm done.

I got a break. The longer I run to the bathroom and get a quick bite to eat, I can sit there and be a fan during halftime. So got a chance to see Rihanna last year, got a chance to see Usher this year. Yeah, I live it up during the game. I get the blessing of both worlds where I can be a broadcaster of the game and a fan of the game, but then also a complete fan of the halftime and the amazing halftime performances that we get to see. So I'm a huge Usher fan anyway, so it was fun to watch. He was.

He was a lot of fun, great energy and seems like every song people are singing out loud, at least in my living room, I don't know about in the stadium. Have to ask you about the Chiefs defense and the success this year because Patrick mentioned it on Sunday where the Super Bowl itself was really a microcosm of their entire season. Defense leading the way and taking the lead early on, keeping them in the game until the offense settled into a rhythm. Why was that defense so successful this season? You would have had me on your show back in July or August and I would have said, you know, Amy Patrick Mahomes is going to be healthy this entire season. Travis Kelce is going to be healthy this entire season. We're going to have Chris Jones on the field and a healthy Isaiah Pacheco with all that on the offense and the firepower that we have returning. The story of this team, the story of this team's success in getting to the Super Bowl, winning the Super Bowl is going to be a defense.

You're probably going to slap me or have me tested for drugs, right? But the fact remains is that that's how we got here. The consistency and the strength of this defense. To me, you can make an argument that the defense MVP of this team is a second-year pro in Trent McDuffie. What he was able to do opposite Le'Jarius Meade, who's, to me, a bonafide all-pro and should be listed as the number one lockdown corner in the league. And then we're still talking about Chris Jones and another second-year guy in George Karloff.

This is Todd for the SAC lead on the season. So young talent on defense, Steve Sagnolo being able to create different concepts and game plans to confuse guys. You watch that Baltimore Ravens game, Lamar Jackson was confused. You watch the Buffalo Bills game in the playoffs, Josh Allen was uncomfortable and confused. Even in this Super Bowl, Brock Purdy, as good as he can be and as good as he's been in his two short years and how he's been able to uplift this Niners team, didn't look very comfortable in the pocket holding onto the ball because of Steve Sagnolo and the defense and the young talent that we had. So Patrick Mahone's recognized that we all recognize that, that the offense didn't necessarily have the best year overall. They were able to come through at different times with the story has been this defense. How about this fat Amy leading into the Superbowl, the last eight games played by the chiefs in the second half of those games, our defense average giving up four points, four points. When you've got Patrick Mahone and Travis Kelsey, and whether you're a team trying to come back from a deficit or trying to hold onto a lead against this offense, you average four points with several teams not scoring a point in the second half.

That is truly amazing. I think second half and overtime, there were a total of nine points scored by the Niners. You're still, you're still in a positive situation. That's double digits overall. So the defense has definitely been the story of the season. I love the leadership of Chris Jones this year. He seems like he's had the time of his life number one, but number two, the, you know, he and the, the team coming to an agreement and being able to settle the financial issues. And then I think one of my favorite moments of the chief season was when he got his sack number for his incentive and the entire sideline is dancing with him and congratulating him. Yeah. He's been such a driving force for them this season.

Well, you know, what's cool. And we're going back to Andy Reed. Like it could have been very easy for the chief organization, the chief kingdom, the fans to hold a huge grudge against Chris Jones.

I've never seen it. I gave him some criticism early in the season on my radio show in Kansas city about like, it's one thing to hold out. I played with guys. I played six years in the NFL. I play with guys that held out, wanted to contract renegotiations, wanted new contracts, et cetera, but I've never, ever seen a player show up to a game, fit in a suite while holding out. That's usually like basketball. That's like what you see in the NBA or something. You don't ever see that in the NFL where a guy that's actively holding out for a contract, that's under contract, opting not to come to training camp and not to go through the preseason and then just happen to show up and sit in the booth with his agent at opening night. Like that doesn't happen. And that could have easily been a situation where the organization said, you know what? This guy is not part of our culture.

This guy will use them for what we use them for and that's it. And there would have been some disdain, maybe some backbiting, but that didn't happen. What they did is embrace them in week two.

And I feel like Chris Jones recognized that love and recognized that what his contribution meant to this team. And that's part of why we got to another Super Bowl. One more thing before I let you go, Dana, because the Chiefs are the last to reach the off season, but it is in fact now the off season and quickly attention will turn to what's next. What are the major questions for Kansas City in this next couple months?

What should be the beverage of choice at the parade on Wednesday? No, I mean, honestly, I'd say, you know what? You probably have to think about the receivers. Marquess Daudette Scanlon kind of three year, $30 million deal prior to last season. So he'll be going into his last season.

Are you going to stick with him? You got Rashid Rice is a rookie, so he's under contract. So you don't have to worry about what your number one receiver is. Travis Kelce is getting a little longer in the tooth, even though he said he's looking forward to next year in his postgame talk on the stage with Jim Mann. So I feel like Chris Jones is a decision that has to be made. It's a free agent. Lajerious Mead is a free agent.

Willie Gaye Jr., a free agent. There's some decisions that have to be made on the defensive side and offensive side that I feel like the business side of the Chiefs organization is going to be focused on. But we've been spoiled.

We've gotten to four Super Bowls in five years and now have won three. Like we've been spoiled. So I feel like whatever decision that they make, Red Beach can make. Red Beach cannot make a bad decision. Like we have to finally give him his cross. We have to give him his flowers and recognizing the talent that he assembles, whether it's through the draft or free agency, it's top shelf. So we're going to lean on him. And in Red Beach we trust, Amy.

That's where we're going. It's great to catch up with Dana and always, especially when he's so happy. You can find him on Twitter at DA Hughes Guy, 83, former Chiefs wide receiver himself, a member of the Chiefs radio network.

Some awesome photos from Sunday and the weekend on his Twitter. Well, congratulations and thank you so much for a couple of minutes. Thank you, Amy. Great being all with you as always.

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A peanut butter M&M's production. In a world where Superbowl winners get the world's admiration and a fancy ring, but the runners up get nothing. One retired cop return. That's one retired quarterback. Read the script.

Oh, sorry. One retired quarterback returns to claim what's his. Um, that's claim a ring with diamonds made from M&M's peanut butter, but you're on a roll.

The ring of comfort coming soon to a Superbowl new you. When something happens to your car, you might say, Oh, but what you really need to say is something that can actually help. Like a good neighbor State Farm is there. Just like that State Farm is there to help you file your claim right on the State Farm mobile app. So just remember, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

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