Kadlick: We Need to Stop Gatekeeping the Greatness of Tom Brady, Patriots

What happened on Sunday night at State Farm Stadium between the Chiefs and the Eagles will one day be just another line on Patrick Mahomes’ incredible resume.

The fifth-year quarterback led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 38-35 win over Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, hoisted his second Lombardi Trophy in four seasons, and entrenched the Chiefs as a dynasty in NFL lore in the process.

In the immediate aftermath of the win, there has been a harsh defense of Tom Brady and the Patriots’ dynastic run now that the “D” word is being connected to what’s happening in Kansas City. Frankly, it’s not necessary.

It’s okay to admit that Mahomes is already an all-time great. In his five seasons as an NFL quarterback, he’s been to five AFC Championship games and three Super Bowls. He’s won two of those, earned the MVP award in both, and has also been a league MVP twice:

He’s coming for Tom Brady.

This is probably aggravating for some people, but read it again. He’s coming for Brady. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s there yet – and it doesn’t even mean he’s that close. But as of now, Patrick Mahomes is the only quarterback that has the ability to do it – and he’s earned the comparisons.

The argument for Brady has always been that he wasn’t the most skilled quarterback – but he always would get the job done on the biggest stage.

Well, Patrick Mahomes IS the most skilled quarterback… and he gets the job done on the biggest stage.

Mahomes led the Chiefs to a double-digit second-half comeback against the Eagles, (the second such Super Bowl win of his career), and he did so on a sprained ankle – an injury that Patriots quarterback Mac Jones missed over a month with. On arguably the most important play of Sunday’s game – Mahomes did this on said ankle – all but securing the win:

For further context of what Mahomes has done throughout his first five NFL seasons as a starting quarterback, take a look at his stats compared to Tom Brady’s best statistical five-year stretch:

Mahomes first five NFL seasons:

Passing stats: 23,957 passing yards, 192 TD, 48 INT

Team record: 63-16

Brady’s best five-year stretch (2007-2012):

Passing stats: 23,166 passing yards, 187 TD, 45 INT

Team record: 65-15

Those are all just regular season numbers. Now let’s talk about the postseason (h/t Nick Wright):

Patrick Mahomes is the all-time playoff leader in passer rating (107.4), completion percentage (67.3), total yards-per-game (319.1), passing TD per game (2.5), and TD:INT ratio (5/1).

His teams also score the most points per game (31.7) and have the second-most 10-point comebacks in playoff history (4). This trails only Tom Brady, who has six. The caveat? Brady played in 48 postseason games… Mahomes has played in just 14.

The come-from-behind magic that Mahomes brings to the table is unmatched. His win percentage (regular season + postseason) in games when his team trails by 10+ points is .583. Tom Brady is second in this category at .378.

Even when the Chiefs go down by 10 or more, they’re still more likely than not going to win the game. Statistically, you can’t say that about anybody else.

“I’m trying to catch Tom [Brady],” Mahomes said on the Thursday before the Super Bowl. “But Tom’s a long way away. You can ask me when I’m like 38 years old.”

He’s not as far away as you may think. With what Mahomes has done in just five seasons, there’s a fair argument that he is already one of the five greatest quarterbacks of all time along with Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, and John Elway.

The Chiefs QB won NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and led the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2022. Out of the five players above, only Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have accomplished each of those in their careers… Mahomes did so in one season. He is also the first player in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowls and multiple league MVP awards in his first six seasons.

For the good of the sport, we need to stop immediately defending Tom Brady and the Patriots dynasty when discussing what Patrick Mahomes is doing in Kansas City. Instead, let’s appreciate what he’s doing on the field – and understand that we’re watching yet another all-time great quarterback right before our eyes.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @PatriotsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Patriots news!

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