Patrick Mahomes had the most regular-season wins among active quarterbacks since 2023… Till Week 2 of this season, that is. A disappointing 0-2 start to the season for the Kansas City Chiefs has led him to cede that title to his AFC counterparts, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
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It’s the first 0-2 start of Mahomes’ career. In fact, the Chiefs haven’t seen this bad a start to the regular season since 2014, back when Alex Smith was in the midst of recording the only eight-win season of his career.
Meanwhile, Allen, thanks to a perfect 2-0 start in Buffalo, has reached a 26-10 record since 2023. One of Allen’s wins came against Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Bills managed to overcome a 16-point deficit in the final four minutes in that Week 1 game. However, Jackson still has the same number of wins as Allen in the past two years, and currently holds a better overall record at 26-9.
Of course, both men are only marginally ahead of Mahomes, who still boasts a regular-season record of 25-9 since 2023. Surprisingly enough, however, there’s one other contender in the field who is quickly closing the gap on the AFC’s best.
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Baker Mayfield has notched a regular-season record of 21-15 since 2023. He is the fourth-most-winning quarterback in the NFL in the past two regular seasons. In that same time span, only Joe Burrow has recorded a better completion percentage than Mayfield’s 67.4%.
Mayfield’s 8,926 passing yards and 74 passing touchdowns are also the most among active quarterbacks in the last two years. He may not have as flashy a resume or playoff success as his conference rivals. But Mayfield is beginning to make a rather compelling case as one of the most reliable signal callers in the league today.
Of course, Mayfield will need to find another playoff win sooner rather than later if he wants to be taken seriously. He’s had no issue reaching the postseason in recent times.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been in control of the NFC South for quite some time now. The Bucs have won four consecutive division titles, and thanks to an early win against the Atlanta Falcons, they are already in the hunt for their fifth.
Since 2023, there’s only been a total of eight quarterbacks who have managed to finish inside the top 10 in passing yards and also win a playoff game. Mayfield is there in that list, which includes names like Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, and C.J. Stroud.
Evidently, the AFC looks set to continue to be the de facto winner when it comes to quarterback talent. But Mayfield’s presence ensures that the NFC remains somewhat relevant in the conversation.
Meanwhile, Lamar and Mahomes will face off in a Week 4 clash, which would give both QBs a chance to record a better win percentage.
