Chiefs-Patriots: on Mahomes, Brady, passing the torch and a trip to the Super Bowl
When it’s all said and done, Tom Brady will leave behind a legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever.
Brady, 41, will be vying for his ninth trip to the Super Bowl when he brings the New England Patriots into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
He has said he wants to play through his mid-40s. But when he does ultimately retire, might Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes be his successor as the ruler of the AFC? It’s a storyline many have mentioned this week — rarely has the phrase “passing the torch” been so often used. It’s just not one Mahomes is buying into.
“I’ve seen it, but there’s still a long way to go,” Mahomes said. “I’m a young guy. He’s done so much in this league, and he’s still doing it to this day. He’s going to play for more years to come, so I’m always going to strive to do some of the things that he’s done, with the Super Bowls that he’s won. That’s the ultimate goal.
“He’s not trying to pass the torch anytime soon.”
They’re two of the best quarterbacks in the game. But they have just as many dissimilarities as they do commonalities.
The careers
Brady: In 18 seasons, he has rewritten the NFL record books. Some consider his resume unmatched. Nobody has thrown more touchdown passes, including playoff games, than Brady’s 589. The three-time NFL MVP has led the league in touchdowns four times, led the league in yards three times and owns a career 207-60 record.
But what truly separates him is his postseason success. Brady holds more playoff wins (28), Super Bowl wins (5), Super Bowl appearances (8), Super Bowl touchdowns (18) and Super Bowl passing yards (2,576) than any quarterback in history.
Mahomes: Well, he’s just getting started, but he has already overtaken just about every Chiefs single-season passing record. In his first year as a starter, Mahomes is only the second quarterback in NFL history to top 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in the same season. (Peyton Manning was the other; Brady has topped each of those marks once, but not in the same season.) Mahomes is 13-4 as a starter and searching for his first Super Bowl appearance.
The Draft
Brady: Most mock drafts pegged Brady, a 6-foot-5 prospect from Michigan, as a middle-round pick. But he dropped to the sixth round, and was taken 199th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. His shirtless scouting-combine picture probably didn’t him any favors — Brady wasn’t exactly the definition of a body builder. And neither did his combine results. He ran a 5.28 40-yard dash. The day after the draft, the Boston Globe wrote, “A pocket passer who will compete for a practice squad spot with the Patriots.”
Mahomes: The buzz was about the arm and athletic ability, but there were questions about whether an Air Raid quarterback could succeed in the NFL. Some scouts viewed it as a gimmick, and it’s not as though any of Mahomes’ predecessors from Texas Tech were thriving at the next level. That kept him out of the top five, but it wouldn’t keep him out of the top 10. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, who was then an assistant to former GM John Dorsey, saw a lot to like. Coach Andy Reid agreed, and the Chiefs traded two first-round picks and a third-round selection to the Bills to move up to No. 10 in the 2017 draft.
How they got the starting job
Brady: It sort of fell into his lap. Drew Bledsoe was the starter in New England, but in 2001, he absorbed a vicious hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. The blow knocked Bledsoe out of the game and placed Brady in it. He never looked back, finishing 11-3 as a starter that season and leading the Patriots to their first Super Bowl.
Mahomes: It was all part of the plan. The Chiefs opened the job for Mahomes last January, when they traded incumbent starter Alex Smith to Washington.
What makes them great
Brady: Sure, there’s the accuracy, and nobody in football throws a better slant or post pattern. But the Chiefs are most concerned with just how quickly Brady gets rid of the ball. It’s the best way to negate a pass rush. His ability to identify coverages is as good as it gets. Although he isn’t mobile, he has an acute sense of the pocket and can navigate within it to buy a little more time. And of course, there’s the experience factor. Brady has started 38 playoff games.
Mahomes: The arm strength is a standout. But the creativity is what separates him. Few quarterbacks have played the position the way Mahomes does — the improvisation, the unique arm angles, the ability to extend plays, the willingness to take calculated risks.
The diet
Brady: Ah, the TB12 Method. Brady is incredibly particular about what he eats, adhering strictly to an anti-inflammatory diet. It’s heavy on vegetables and protein shakes, with an avoidance of starchy foods, white sugar, white flour, dairy and caffeine. He drinks up to 25 glasses of water every day.
Mahomes: A healthy — er, unhealthy? — dose of ketchup is the most notable item in the diet here. We’re sure there’s more to it. But in perhaps the best example that anything Mahomes does can make waves, his fondness for the red stuff has been a topic of conversation all season. He uses it on his steak and his mac and cheese. It recently landed him an endorsement deal with Hunt’s ketchup.
The relationship status
Brady: He is married to Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen, who was once the top-earning model in the world. The two began dating in December 2006, after being set up on a blind date. They married less than three years later and have a son and a daughter.
Mahomes: He is dating his high school sweetheart, Brittany Matthews. The two of them have owned a pit bull, Steel, since moving to Kansas City. They planned to add another pit bull puppy, Silver, to their home this weekend.
Where they were at the turn of the millennium
Brady: The year 2000 was a big one for Brady. After being drafted in the spring, he spent most of his rookie season in New England backing up Bledsoe. In an interview with ESPN years later, Brady said he was just happy that he wouldn’t have to be an insurance salesman. He did play in one game as a rookie, completing a pass for six yards.
Mahomes: He, too, was roaming the field in 2000 — a baseball field. His father, Pat, was with the New York Mets, who were playing the Yankees in the World Series. Earlier this week, a picture circulated through social media showing 5-year-old Patrick shagging fly balls during batting practice at the World Series.