What a way to end the season for the new champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. They closed by winning 16 of their last 17 games, the only loss coming when Jalen Hurts left the game in the first quarter, and they averaged a spectacular 36 points in the playoffs. With a dominant 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59, the Eagles secured their second Lombardi Trophy, adding to their historic 2017 win with Nick Foles and the legendary “Philly Special.” Philadelphia proved that revenge is best served cold. After avenging their 2004 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots by beating Tom Brady in 2017, they’ve now erased the pain of their 2022 loss to Kansas City. The Eagles seem to have a knack for taking down football dynasties. In 2017, they denied the Patriots a rare back-to-back championships. Now they’ve denied the Chiefs an unprecedented three-peat, earning the title of the NFL’s true Kingslayer.
Mahomes vs. Brady: Chasing the GOAT
It seems Patrick Mahomes’ real kryptonite is not just a struggling offensive line-after all, his protection crumbled in both Super Bowl losses-but Tom Brady himself. Though the seven-time champion wasn’t on the field, he was in attendance for his first Super Bowl as a FOX analyst. This loss brings Mahomes’ career arc eerily close to Brady’s, as both quarterbacks suffered shocking defeats in their seventh seasons as starters. For Brady, it was the heartbreak of a perfect 18-0 season ruined by Eli Manning and the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. For Mahomes, it was the crushing end of a three-peat, overwhelmed by an Eagles pass rush that sacked him relentlessly six times (a new career high).
Statistically, Mahomes’ career still mirrors Brady’s in many ways. Through the same number of starts, Mahomes holds a 106-27 record, nearly identical to Brady’s 104-29 mark. Both started as backups behind veteran QBs before leading their teams to three championships in short order-Brady in four seasons, Mahomes in six. The Chiefs, like the Patriots of the early 2000s, have kept their core intact, with Andy Reid, Mahomes, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, special teams coach Dave Toub and kicker Harrison Butker playing key roles in their continued success. But the biggest difference remains in how they’ve lost. Brady’s three Super Bowl losses in 10 Super Bowls have come by a combined 15 points, including one against the Eagles in 2017 in which he threw for 505 yards. Mahomes’ two losses, on the other hand, have been much more lopsided, with a combined 40-point deficit.
When we talk about individual numbers Mahomes dominates Brady, you also have to remember that Brady went 10 years without winning a Super Bowl from 2004 to 2014, in full prime from his 27th to his 37th year. That’s the most impressive thing about Brady, the amount of time he played at the highest level and was always relevant. Mahomes is young, and to try to match Brady, who holds most of the quarterback and NFL records in history, including seven Super Bowl titles, 251 career wins and 649 passing touchdowns, he will have to play many more years or it will be impossible. Therefore, he needs to win at least one title in the next five years, which is easier said than done.
The Chiefs’ Dynasty Isn’t Over
This loss will sting for Kansas City, but it shouldn’t trigger panic. Before Mahomes, the Chiefs had just one playoff win in 24 years, suffering through a 9-18 postseason record. Now, they stand at 26-22, having played in five Super Bowls over six seasons-an NFL record. They’ve won at least one playoff game every year since Mahomes took over, appeared in seven straight conference championships (also a record), and hosted five in a row. They’ve also secured 16 playoff victories in six years, another league-best. While the Eagles exposed their flaws, history suggests Mahomes and Kansas City will be back in contention soon enough.
With the NFL landscape shifting, the real question remains: Can Mahomes truly catch Brady in the GOAT conversation? The road ahead just got a little tougher.
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