The Chiefs take the top berth at 4-0 in the AFC as week 4 wraps up. While the defending champions are flourishing, the same cannot be said about their star QB Patrick Mahomes, whose regular season woes have continued. Amidst all this, an NFL analyst proposed a theory regarding Pat’s troubles, even bringing point guard James Harden into the conversation.
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Multiple analysts and experts have given the reasoning behind Mahomes’ subpar performance, with offense failing to make a mark as the top sentiment. However, The Odd Couple show host Rob Parker believed that the responsibility falls solely on Mahomes as he drew a comparison with NBA pro Harden.
“He’s like the James Harden in Reverse. James Harden plays great in the regular season and is bad in the postseason. Patrick Mahomes has not been great in the regular season but (exudes) greatness (in postseason).”
Despite the Super Bowl victory last year, Parker minced that Mahomes is not even a ‘top 5 quarterback‘ right now. His comparison brought top point scorer Harden into the limelight. Despite great stats, the NBA pro has failed to capitalize on the same momentum in the playoffs, a complete contrast to Mahomes NFL dynamics.
Even with the average regular season stats, Mahomes grabbed his 1st Super Bowl in his third season with the Chiefs. However, he has had a stellar playoff run with six consecutive AFC Championship games and 4 Super Bowls since his debut in 2017.
Alas, these mammoth accomplishments weren’t enough to impress Parker, who was fixated on the troubles Mahomes is evidently facing this regular season.
Parker explains Patrick Mahomes’ struggles
The host explained that Mahomes’ form has been degrading since last year when the team lost to the Raiders. He added that this season, Mahomes is making some unwanted NFL records with high interceptions and turnarounds.
Not only does the Super Bowl MVP have only 6 TDs to his name in 4 games but he has also been intercepted five times already this eason—second highest until now. To raise alarm bells for the Mahomies, the following stats might help. Out of 121 passes, the QB has only been able to complete 83 and has been sacked 7 times with a QBR of 52.9, the lowest of all seasons.
This is a plot similar to the 2023 season. Patrick Mahomes did not accumulate any extraordinary stats in the regular season. In 16 games, he had a 67.2 completion percentage for 27 TDs and a QBR of 63.9. Meanwhile, his post-season heroics led to a dramatic change in his numbers. In 4 games, Mahomes had a 69.8 completion rate, 6 TDs, and 86.9 QBR.
However, to add more perspective to Parker’s analogy, it is salient to highlight that Mahomes has led the Chiefs’ regular season campaigns starting in 2018 with 78 wins out of 100 games.
On paper, his 2024 form is certainly a matter of concern for the team but considering the Chiefs’ overall position in the league at 4-0, they seem to be handling the issues quite well.
