Whether it’s Tom Brady or Joe Montana, even the greatest of quarterbacks face their share of criticism. Now that he’s the premier passer, Patrick Mahomes is experiencing that phenomenon.
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Despite setting passing records and winning Super Bowls right out of the gate and at a record pace, the star signal caller’s accomplishments are getting challenged by both fans and analysts alike. Now, a chunk of them are claiming that his postseason success is merely the result of the Chiefs’ elite defense.
Ironically, critics made the same argument against Brady during his second Super Bowl run.
Nevertheless, Cole DeRuse of the How ‘Bout Those Chiefs podcast has grown tired of the criticism. He believes people use it as an underhanded attempt to discredit Mahomes.
“The clutch factor of Mahomes played a big role in why KC has made it to their third Super Bowl in a row. How can you ding a quarterback for having a good defense? Asked DeRuse.
“That makes zero sense. If so, Tom Brady is the greatest fraud in the history of the NFL. He’s never won a Super Bowl without a top-10 defense,” he added.
According to DeRuse, “This logic is just stupid.” When doing the math behind Brady’s career, the carried-by-defense narrative falls apart.
Numbers back Brady and Mahomes
In 2022, a member of the PatsFans.com forum examined the EPAs pertaining to the team’s offensive and defensive units from the 2004 season. The findings were rather telling.
“The 2004 defense was #1 in EPA per play in the playoffs, but that’s offset by the fact that the 2004 Patriots OFFENSE was also #1 in the same category. Our 2003, 2014, and 2018 defenses in the playoffs weren’t nearly as dominant as we think they were, being responsible for allowing more points than the other way around. So that totally nullifies the idea that Brady was carried by them to the Super Bowl,” explained the fan.
Factor in that the Chiefs allowed the ninth-highest point total in Super Bowl history, and it appears as if Mahomes isn’t actually working with the juggernaut that people claim he is.
Ultimately, every team that competes in the Super Bowl will have some kind of respectable defensive unit. Otherwise, they likely wouldn’t have made it to the Super Bowl.
At the end of the day, hoisting the Lombardi trophy takes a group effort. Super Bowl runs often include career-defining moments for several different players on a team, not just one.
Then again, the best way to silence the doubters is by winning. Mahomes has had seven seasons as a starter. In that time, Mahomes has already delivered three Super Bowls, two MVP awards, and seven AFC West championships. If anyone can silence his doubters by brandishing his silverware, it’s Mahomes
