The Kansas City Chiefs continue their reign as one of the top teams in the NFL as they head to their fourth Super Bowl in the last five years. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are on their way to becoming the next great quarterback/tight end duo in the league. Mahomes and Kelce, reminiscent of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, are a tough dynamic duo for the San Francisco 49ers to handle at Super Bowl LVIII.
Tale of the Tape
From 2014-18, the Patriots went 62-18 in the regular season, 12-2 in the playoffs, won five division titles, grabbed five conference championship appearances, had four Super Bowl appearances and won three Super Bowls. If the Chiefs come out on top this season, the team has the following accolades from 2019-23: a 63-20 regular season record, five division titles, five conference championship appearances, four Super Bowl appearances, three Super Bowl wins and a 14-2 record in the playoffs.
Mahomes and Brady in the Media
On the Pat McAfee Show, Brady said “There’s nothing Patrick can do in my opinion that takes away from what I tried to accomplish in my career. And there’s nothing that I did to take away from what he is trying to accomplish.”
The Chiefs quarterback faced critics who wondered if he could win a road playoff game. In true Mahomes fashion, he handled the Dolphins at home in the Wild Card and continued to silence the haters with two wins on the road against the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens. The offensive performance against the Ravens in the second half wasn’t exactly impressive, but with Mahomes/Kelce’s veteran-esque performance, they survived in Baltimore.
On the flip side, the New England Patriots had plenty of close-call shaky AFC Championship and divisional games where it was either the offense, defense or special teams that bailed each other out.
Mahomes’ Career so far
Through the former Texas Tech quarterback’s first six seasons with the Chiefs, his record is 73-22. He has two MVPs, two Super Bowls, four AFC titles and a 14-3 playoff record.
Comparing that to Brady, his record in his first six seasons was 70-24. He had zero MVPs, three3 Super Bowls, three AFC titles and a 12-2 playoff record. Ever since Mahomes lost to Brady in the 2019 AFC Championship game, his team has been in the conversation for the Super Bowl every year. The question remains if the Chiefs are a dynasty if they win or lose in the Super Bowl. Brady won seven out of 10 Super Bowls and New England had a 20-year dynasty with multiple AFC Championship appearances just like the Chiefs. Mahomes/Kelce will be compared to Brady/Gronk for the rest of their careers because there is no other quarterback and pass- catcher duo in the NFL right now that has achieved as much as them.
Mahomes has already established himself as the best quarterback in the league. After he sat for a year and learned under former quarterback Alex Smith, he has been to the AFC Championship game in every season in his first six years as a starter. His Super Bowl record is 2-1 and he’s seeking to become the first team since the 2003-04 Patriots to win back-to-back titles. The conversation shouldn’t be about whether they will be the next Brady/Gronk, but it sure has been the most impressive run in the first six years for a starting quarterback in the history of the NFL.
Kelce’s Career
Kelce has been a dominant force on the field since 2013. With his impressive size and athleticism, his route-running ability is a nightmare for defenses. Kelce and Mahomes are elite talents at their positions. Their strong chemistry on and off the field is like Brady and Gronk, who were known for their close relationship as teammates and were a dominant offensive duo from 2011-2021. However, no quarterback and pass-catcher duo has combined for more playoff touchdowns in NFL history than Mahomes and Kelce.
The former Cincinnati tight end specifically leads the NFL with the most playoff receptions of all time at 156. The next three on that list are 49ers wide receiver legend Jerry Rice at 151, former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman with 118 and Gronk with 98.
Final Thoughts
The Patriots faced a 10-year drought to win their fourth Super Bowl. The stats will be close if no team stops the Chiefs from entering the playoffs, never mind the Championship game and Super Bowl. It is never too early to start conversations and consider if Mahomes is better than Brady. Chasing seven rings and playing 20 years in the league will be a tough task for the Kansas City star. Brady set the standard to the absolute max and made it extremely difficult for young and upcoming quarterbacks like Mahomes to achieve similar careers.
There is no question that what Brady and Gronk did together will keep them at the top for quarterback/tight end combinations. If Mahomes and Kelce can win two more Super Bowls, they could join the conversation as one of the most dominant tandems in the NFL. In the end, Mahomes may not reach Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings. But right now, it doesn’t look like the multi-time MVP is slowing down anytime soon as he is looking to win his third Super Bowl alongside his safety blanket Kelce.