Patrick Mahomes still has a ways to go to reach the championship bar set by Tom Brady.
With Sunday’s overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in the big game, Kansas City’s all-world quarterback now has three down, four to go to tie the GOAT’s haul of Super Bowl rings.
So Mahomes is off to a great start, and coming to take down Brady, who also had three Super Bowl wins in his first six seasons.
Greatness, however, isn’t simply measured by numbers, or rings.
BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS
STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org.
Why did the Chiefs just win Super Bowl LVIII?
They had Mahomes. The more talented 49ers team did not.
Over the course of two decades, how many times did New Englanders say the same thing in the big games?
It’s a familiar refrain. The Patriots had Brady. The other team did not. See the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, and the Rams in Super Bowl LIII, for details.
Of course, Brady and Mahomes were also complemented by great defenses, and there’s no doubt Steve Spagnuolo deserves props for how the Chiefs defense performed in the Super Bowl, and throughout the latest championship ride.
Watching Mahomes, however, especially what he means to the Chiefs with the game on the line, with a championship weighing in the balance, jogs back so many memories of Brady.
When No. 12 was leading the Patriots, there was never a doubt he would make something happen to put his team over the top. His teammates knew it, and so did the opposing team. And so did anyone watching.
No lead was ever safe if Brady was in the opposing huddle.
The bigger the game, no matter the obstacles involved, there was no counting Brady out.
It’s the same with Mahomes, who also has that refuse-to-lose gene.
The minute Kyle Shanahan sent the field goal team out in overtime on their opening possession, the game was over. Everyone in the stands at Allegiant Stadium, everyone on the 49ers sideline, and everyone in Taylor Swift’s box knew it.
Give Mahomes the ball needing a touchdown to win, and the audience knows its time to sit back and enjoy the ride just to see how he accomplishes the mission. That’s what it was like watching Brady as a Patriot, and later as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
There’s no question Mahomes is at Brady’s level when it comes to having that icy cool and calm at the most crucial moments in a game. While Mahomes has a running-dimension that Brady never had, using his legs to bury teams when the need arises, the connection they have is in that intangible to pull out wins no matter the circumstances.
There aren’t many quarterbacks who have that ability to make it happen no matter who’s on their side. Brady and Mahomes have that ability to elevate their team, to get everyone else to raise their level of performance.
Wasn’t this the year the Chiefs were supposed to be vulnerable thanks to Mahomes not having the best supporting cast?
Mahomes still managed to beat the 49ers 25-22 in overtime with a receiving corps that featured such luminaries as Mecole Hardman, Justin Watson, Rashee Rice, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Not exactly a murderer’s row of receivers.
Of course, he has Travis Kelce, but this cast wasn’t anywhere near as good or as explosive as the one he had when he beat the 49ers to win his first championship in 2020. When push came to shove, though, having Mahomes is what mattered most.
On the game-winning drive in overtime, he went 8-for-8 for 42 yards throwing to five different receivers. He ran for 27 yards and two first downs on two carries in overtime.
He accounted for 69 of the 75 yards on the game-winning drive, hitting Hardman with the championship-clinching throw.
The 49ers defense had bottled him up pretty much all game, but Mahomes remained undaunted, and delivered when it counted most in the fourth quarter and overtime. He engineered all of those must-have drives in the game.
At this stage, there isn’t much question that Mahomes is the Brady of this generation.
Following the game, Chiefs coach Andy Reid was asked about the Mahomes-Brady comparison.
“I was there when Tom Brady said I’m turning the keys over to you,” Reid said, referring to Mahomes. “He did it right in our locker room. And so I think Tom is as proud as anybody.”
The former Patriots great may have turned over the keys, but Mahomes said it’s tough to make a comparison “because Brady beat me in the Super Bowl.”
That’s certainly true, but Mahomes is on his way, and giving legitimate chase to the seven-time Super Bowl winner.
Having that kind of elite, all-time great quarterback is the biggest key to any team establishing itself as a dynasty. The Patriots, who are currently in dire need of a quarterback and have done squat since Brady left, should know that better than anyone.
Said three-time Super Bowl MVP Mahomes on his Chiefs becoming a dynasty: “It’s the start of one. We’re not done.”
NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.
