On Sunday, star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees faced off for the first time in their respective careers in what some thought might be a potential Super Bowl preview.
If that does end up being the case and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the New Orleans Saints on February 7 in Tampa Bay, the smart money is on KC.
Playing against one of the better defenses in the NFL, Mahomes put on a show and passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns as the Chiefs extended their eight-game winning streak to nine in a row with a 32-29 victory over New Orleans.
Playing for the first time in more than a month, Brees also threw three TDs, but he completed less than half of his passes and needed more than a full quarter to get a completion or lead the Saints to a first down.
āI wasnāt real efficient, obviously, in the passing game,ā Brees said. āIād say that was a combination of forcing some things down the field instead of just taking a completion underneath. There were some miscues.ā
Given the layoff, it makes sense the 41-year-old was rusty, but, even at full strength, he may no longer be a match for Kansas City’s young gunslinger.
Through 14 games this season, Mahomes has passed for 4,462 yards and thrown 36 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions.
Per Elias Sports, Mahomes has thrown for 2,309 yards over his last six games, the most air yardage any quarterback has ever racked up over a six-game span in NFL history. Also, in just his third season as a starter, the 25-year-old is on pace to join Brees as the only other player in NFL history with multiple 5,000-yard seasons.
“Patrick is more impressive than I could imagine,ā said KC running back LeāVeon Bell. āHeās even more impressive in person. … Iām fortunate to be his teammate.ā
Now 13-1 on the season, the Chiefs are favored to repeat as Super Bowl champs ā and Mahomes is the biggest reason. They’ll host Atlanta on Sunday while the Saints (10-4) will close out their home schedule against Minnesota on Christmas Day.
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