Will Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs regress this season?

Dan Marino – Miami Dolphins – 1984

When looking for a Patrick Mahomes comparison (at least for how they started their careers) there may not be a closer match than Dan Marino. Marino’s prolific 1984 season came in just his second season (after starting nine games as a rookie) and he was also 23 years old at the time. On one hand, the idea of comparing Mahomes to someone who is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history is obviously a huge compliment. On the other hand, while Marino had plenty of great seasons he never quite matched his 1984 season numbers again and was never able to get that elusive Super Bowl ring. It should also probably be pointed out that Marino’s season came in an era when nobody else was putting up numbers anywhere close to what he was. You’ll notice that the next entry on this list didn’t come along until 2007. That’s 23 years after Marino’s historic season.

So here is how Marino and the Dolphins did in both 1984 and the following season.

1984: 64.2% completions, 5,084 yards passing, 317.8 yards/game, 9.0 yards/attempt, 48 TDs, 17 INTs, 108.9 QB rating, 14-2 record, 2-1 playoff record (lost in Super Bowl)

1985: 59.3% completions, 4,137 yards passing, 258.6 yards/game, 7.3 yards/attempt, 30 TDs, 21 INTs, 84.1 QB rating, 12-4 record, 1-1 playoff record (lost in AFC Championship Game)

So Marino saw his numbers drop across the board, including almost 1,000 less passing yards and 18 less touchdowns. That’s a pretty significant statistical drop. The Dolphins record dropped as well but they still won 12 games and another in the playoffs. So it wasn’t a bad season for Marino and the Dolphins but it was definitely a step down from the year before.

Next up is the quarterback widely considered the greatest of all time.