Patrick Mahomes is already viewed by most NFL fans as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. However, his recent success has come with much less gaudy statistics compared to what he was putting up early in his career. This has opened the door for those who dislike Mahomes and/or the Kansas City Chiefs to criticize the quarterback. It's common to hear people on social media call Mahomes overrated these days and it's fueled the narrative that the Chiefs are "lucky" to be undefeated. But at this point in his career, do Mahomes' stats really even matter?
The Kansas City Chiefs are 9-0. Yes, some of those victories haven't been easy or pretty, but the results speak for themselves. The Chiefs are the only undefeated team in the NFL and in almost all of those games, Patrick Mahomes made the plays that needed to be made to pull out the victory. Honestly, Mahomes' missing Travis Kelce on an easy touchdown last week against the Denver Broncos is the most glaring example of a time when he didn't come through late when the game was hanging in the balance. The rest of the time he has been his usual clutch self.
Patrick Mahomes' stats this season may not be very impressive, but does that even matter at this point?
So if the Chiefs are 9-0 and the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, do Mahomes' stats this season even matter? If the Chiefs keep winning does anyone believe that his claim to being one of (if not THE) greatest quarterback of all time will be weakened by his stats this season? Before we answer that, let's look at just how his numbers right now stack up. Here is where Mahomes currently ranks in several passing categories among quarterbacks with at least five starts:
- Passing Yards - 2,208 - 11th
- Passing Yards Per Game - 245.3 - 10th
- Passing Yards Per Attempt - 7.1 - 20th
- Completion Percentage - 69.5% - 5th
- Passing Touchdowns - 12 - Tied for 10th
- Interceptions - 9 - Tied for 4th most
- Average Air Yards Per Completion - 3.8 - 2nd lowest to only Tua Tagovailoa
- QB Rating - 90.3 - 17th
- QBR - 67.7 - 6th
- PFF Rating - 83.4 - 5th
So Mahomes isn't racking up a ton of yards or touchdowns thus far. He's throwing short, high-percentage completions and has thrown a relatively high number of interceptions. The most modern evaluation metrics that take multiple things into account (QBR and PFF Grade) still have him in the top six quarterbacks this season. That is in large part likely due to his ability to convert third downs and make plays when they're needed.
So other than Mahomes not putting up the stats that help your fantasy team win games, what is there to really complain about? The criticisms of Mahomes aren't coming from many Chiefs fans, so this article may be preaching to the choir, but the idea that Mahomes is playing poorly or is overrated is nonsense. He is the unquestioned leader of an NFL dynasty and leading the charge to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl.
If there are still those who want to argue he is overrated because his touchdown to interception ratio isn't great this season, here are just a few of the NFL records that Mahomes already owns to help remind people of how proven and amazing he is.
- Tied for the most consecutive 300 yard games with 8
- Fastest player ever to 10,000, 25,000, and 30,000 career passing yards
- Fastest player ever to 100 and 200 career passing touchdowns
- Best career playoff passer rating at 105.8
- Tied for the most passing touchdowns in one postseason with 11
- Most total yards (passing and rushing) in a season with 5,608
- Not to mention 2 MVP seasons, 3 Super Bowl wins, and 3 Super Bowl MVPs
The idea that Mahomes' average stats this season while leading the Chiefs to a 9-0 record open him up to criticism is laughable. He continues to be one of the elite players in the entire NFL. Is there room for him to improve? Of course, he's the first one to say that, but 9 times out of 10 he makes the plays needed to win the game. That's ultimately what matters, especially for a player who's already proven he can stack up stats and personal accolades. This is how THIS version of the Chiefs has to play and he's finding a way to still make that work.
So what do you think Chiefs fans? Are you tired of the critics and trolls using Mahomes' numbers against him? Do any of you actually agree that his stats point to his play dropping off or him being overrated? Does Patrick Mahomes really have anything else to prove at this point? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments below.