Would Patrick Mahomes cement himself as the NFL’s GOAT over Tom Brady with a Super Bowl LIX victory? If Mahomes defeats the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, he can become the first quarterback in league history to start and win the Lombardi Trophy three times in a row.
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Does that potential accomplishment outweigh Brady’s separate stretches of three titles in four years and four in seven seasons?
First Things First embraced the Mahomes-Brady debate on Monday afternoon. Former NFL head coach Eric Mangini viewed their matchup through a lens Mahomes is familiar with: head-to-head competition.
Unfortunately for Mahomes, the tables are shifted on him in this situation.
Mahomes went 3-1 against Brady in regular season play, but he lost both of their postseason matchups, including Super Bowl LV. That fact, to Mangini, is enough to give Brady the edge until further notice.
“They’re 3-3, but really Patrick Mahomes is just Tom Brady’s Josh Allen. That’s it… and once Tom Brady retired, then Patrick could assume that mantle. But Patrick couldn’t beat him in the playoffs, just like Josh can’t beat Patrick in the playoffs. So that’s where they are comparatively.”
Mangini spent six years on the New England Patriots coaching staff (2000-05) before becoming an NFL head coach. He witnessed Brady execute multiple game-winning Super Bowl drives before the seven-time champion developed into a truly dominant force.
While Mangini’s experience could be considered biased, it could also be proof of concept. He watched Brady, in his first year as a starter, prevail over two-time MVP Kurt Warner on the Super Bowl stage.
Mahomes was easily seen as the better quarterback heading into each of his Super Bowl victories. He (25) also had an 18-year age advantage over Brady (43) in Super Bowl LV, which he lost.
So, when Nick Wright asked Mangini, “If [Mahomes] pulls this off and you are asked… ‘[who’s your] one guy to win a game?'”, Mangini chose Brady without hesitation. The foundation and head coach Brady started with – compared to Mahomes – also factored into his decision.
“I was there… I don’t have the experience with Patrick Mahomes. I’ve had the experience with Tom Brady multiple times and understanding what he was like… and what Tom Brady inherited was not stability. We were 5-11… when he got drafted. He was a sixth-round draft pick… with a coach a lot of people thought wasn’t very good… [and that was] a defensive head coach.”
Mangini made many compelling points. It’s hard to argue against his position. However, if one were to do so right now, they’d have to relegate the conversation strictly to championship frequency.
Mahomes would beat Brady’s title spans – three in three years and four in six seasons – with a Super Bowl LIX triumph. Some could argue that would propel him over Brady in the league’s hierarchy.
At the same time, Mahomes’ supporters can’t count their chickens before they hatch. He and the Chiefs still have to win Super Bowl LIX to potentially set himself apart. Kickoff for the battle is 6:30 p.m. E.T. on Sunday, Feb. 9.
