It was here that I was set straight by some of you that the '95 & '97 Chiefs were not 'twin' paper-tigers. It was just '95.
At the time, going into the divisional week - and friends and I attended NE@Pit (Carroll vs Cowher) - we were preferring our Steelers go to Arrowhead for the AFCC instead of hosting Denver (we each thought KC were paper-tigers as two years prior). And, mind you, my friends were able to get tickets for the following week which they actually did attend thus our worry over Denver beating us came true.
But given KC's unfortunate way of coming up short in such big games, I still think our chances wouldn't have been bad at Arrowhead. It would have been Cowher's first road-AFCCG eight years earlier. I guess I'd give KC the edge but just a slight one.
Sure-enough the Steelers wouldn't have been able to hang with Green Bay as they did vs Dallas two years earlier. KC likely does slightly better had they gone instead; but also don't beat the Pack as Denver actually did. End of day, the Broncos really were the best in the AFC as well as the entire league. It's just that they were in-disguise of a 12-4 team instead of quite better.