Even though the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs were thought to have the weakest offence in the Mahomian era, they defied expectations and clinched another Lombardi trophy, solidifying their status as the NFL’s newest dynasty.
With three Super Bowl championships in his first six seasons as a starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes has undeniably entered the conversation as one of the greatest of all time, sharing the spotlight with Tom Brady. While Brady currently holds the advantage with seven rings, the ongoing comparison between Mahomes and Brady is sure to endure for years to come.
Mahomes has been innovating and establishing an extraordinary, nearly unattainable standard for other quarterbacks in the league. The 28-year-old’s unparalleled early career success is a subject worthy of analysis. Much of Mahomes’ achievements may seem unbelievable, but we delved into the details to unearth five genuinely mind-boggling statistics about the player:
5. Mahomes doesn’t get blown out
In 114 games, Mahomes has remarkably avoided blowout losses, experiencing defeat by more than one possession only four times. His impressive 89-25 overall record and 78.1% win percentage are astounding. Losing by over eight points occurs in just 3% of his games and constitutes 16% of his career losses—an extraordinary feat. In contrast, Mahomes has clinched victory by at least two possessions in 46 out of 96 regular-season starts, boasting an average margin of victory of 18 points per game.
4. Six seasons, a career’s worth of success
Mahomes, at just 28, has never concluded a season before the AFC Championship Game. Despite his relatively short time as a starter, he ranks third in QB playoff wins (15) and shares the third spot with three Super Bowl victories. Remarkably, Mahomes is already the youngest quarterback to defeat all 31 teams, achieving this before turning 30.
Examining his playoff achievements, Mahomes’ earliest season exit was in the overtime of the AFC Championship game in his debut year as a starter in 2018. Even in 2022, Mahomes triumphed over Joe Burrow and the rising Cincinnati Bengals, securing the Chiefs’ second Super Bowl appearance with him at the helm.
3. Mahomes has a knack for keeping things interesting
The Chiefs’ quarterback embarked on his career with an impressive streak of 53 consecutive games decided by 8 points or fewer. It’s like Mahomes knows how to stage a compelling performance. To contextualize, prior to Mahomes taking the reins as Kansas City’s starter, the league record for a team was 46 consecutive games, either winning or losing by one possession (2011-2014 Seattle Seahawks).
It took Mahomes nearly three full seasons as a starter before encountering a loss by more than one possession. Interestingly, the first game in which he lost by 9+ points was against Brady in Super Bowl 55.
2. He delivers in critical moments
During Super Bowl 58, Mahomes achieved something no NFL quarterback had done in the past 30 years: completing eight consecutive passes or more with 27+ rushing yards in a single drive, be it in the regular season or postseason. This extraordinary performance in overtime emphasized his prowess as a dual-threat quarterback, asserting his capabilities.
Mahomes has solidified his reputation as one of, if not the most clutch player in the NFL. Not only did he orchestrate a clutch drive to force Super Bowl 58 into overtime, but he also orchestrated what could be considered the most impressive series of his career, breaking the hearts of 49ers fans nationwide.
The game-winning drive, spanning 13 plays and covering 75 yards, consumed 7 minutes and 19 seconds of playtime. Mahomes himself went 8-for-8 passing with 42 yards through the air and 27 rushing yards, featuring a pivotal 19-yard run on 4th-and-1.
1. The newfound monarch of comebacks
Mahomes boasts an impressive 5-1 playoff record since 2019 when trailing by 10 or more points during a game. In contrast, the rest of the league has managed only a 6-48 record in similar situations, highlighting a stark difference in performance.
Even in Super Bowl 58, when the Chiefs found themselves trailing 10-0 after a Christian McCaffrey touchdown in the second quarter, Mahomes orchestrated a gradual comeback, amassing 154 passing yards in the second half.
Mahomes isn’t confined to postseason heroics; his knack for making spectacular comebacks extends into the regular season. Prior to the 2023 campaign, he held a 14-10 record when trailing by at least 10 points at some point in a game. While already holding the highest win percentage among quarterbacks at .771, his 58.3% win rate, when trailing by 10 or more, ranks 41st out of 178 quarterbacks (minimum 1,500 attempts since 1970), equaling Burrow’s overall winning percentage.
As Chiefs fans anticipate the next season during the extended offseason, the question arises: What will number 15 unveil? Days after clinching the Super Bowl MVP, Mahomes is already the frontrunner for the 2024 regular season MVP, listed at +600 odds on BetMGM. Despite Mahomes’ numerous accomplishments, this could just be the commencement of an extraordinary legacy.