It’s the 43-year-old goat versus the 25-year-old wizard. Tom Brady and Patrick Mahoms of the Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the fourth time in three years on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, CBS). They also met for the first time since Mahomes was named Super Bowl champion last year and since Brady found himself in a new home in Tampa Bay.
Not only are they two of the best teams in the league and have a fondness for big moments and big matches – they are icons of generations that have achieved global recognition beyond their sport.
Related 2
With Brady, it was always a chess match. His success came from systematically cutting defenses and fitting the ball into tight spaces – although he takes many chances in Bruce Arians’ attack as he tries to challenge Father Time.
On the other hand, Mahomes appears to challenge the laws of physics and human anatomy on a weekly basis, twisting his arm at impossible angles to make equally impossible throws. As Brady brings the will and determination – what propelled him from the seventh Michigan midfielder and overall choice number 199 to the six-time Super Bowl winner – he brings Mahums “wow”.
They had previously had three exciting confrontations, all of which were settled with one score or less. With Brady now in NFC South and seeing AFC West only every four years, this could be the last time the two teams have faced, unless both teams reach the Super Bowl before Brady retires.
Here’s a look back at those matches, and what fans can expect when they clash on Sunday.
Matthew J. Lee / The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Meaning: The Chiefs was 5-0, and Mahomes, in his first year as a starter, had already set the NFL ablaze with 1,513 yards and 14 touchdown passes. The Patriots were 3-2 but in a two-game winning streak.
The match, perfect match between Mahomes and Brady, was a high-scoring match. It included nearly 700 yards, roughly evenly divided between the two, five touchdowns, and four Mahomes. Mahomes threw a 75-yard touch pass to Tyreek Hill three minutes before the match to equalize at 40, but Brady then led a campaign that ended with a winning field goal and the Patriots victory 43-40. The Chiefs went to the record 12-4 and became the number one seed in the Asian Qualifiers, with the 11-5 Patriots directly behind them.
The [email protected] | #KCvsNE | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/yOYmcpKikb
New England Patriots October 15, 2018
Best Pivoting Moment / Playing per QB: Brady’s three longest assists of the match came in the fourth quarter. None of them was larger than the 39-yard throw by Rob Gronkowski that put the Patriots into the winning field goal position. Mahomes had two long lanes to drop, 75 yards to Hill and one 67 yards to Kareem Hunt.
What did they say:[Mahomes] Made a lot of big punches – the one at the end of Tyreek was a great throw-up, and he had some other great throws. These guys are very hard to slow down. They scored a lot of points throughout the year. It’s going to be very hard to stop them, so glad we got our last chance and glad we took advantage of it. ” – Brady
“I have absolute respect for Tom and everything he did in this game and his entire career. He had a hit in this league because he won last-minute matches like this. For us, you just have to find a way to win games like this. If you want to get where you want to go.” To arrive, you have to win matches that will be tight and you will face really good opponents. ” Mahomes
Who Won This Round: The Mahomes and the Presidents seemed to be out there, but Brady established an early lead in the rivalry.
The meaning: The stakes were even greater this time as Mahomes and Brady met in the AFC Championship. The first half looked a lot different from the first match between midfielders. Mahomes and the high-goal presidents were frustrated with the Patriots’ live coverage and were late 14-0 in the first half. But the expected penalty shoot-out developed in the second half.
Behind three touchdown passes from Mahomes, the Chiefs were ready to advance to the Super Bowl when Brady’s pass was intercepted late in the fourth quarter as the Presidents advanced 28-24. But the play was erased from a penalty kick and the match eventually went into extra time. The Patriots won the coin toss and scored the winning goal, 37-31. Mahomes never touched the ball in overtime.
30 completions.
348 yards.
1 TD.
Brady’s best throws in the AFC Championships. pic.twitter.com/25JCwrB0GR
New England Patriots January 21, 2019
Best Pivoting Moment / Play for All QB: Brady was at his best in winning driving in overtime, when he completed three passes in third and 10th places to allow the Patriots to switch. Mahomes threw a touchdown pass 23 yards to Damian Williams in the fourth quarter to give Chiefs their first lead.
What they said: “I think we beat a lot this year. He fell but didn’t come out, and we found a way to play our best in the last four games – Buffalo, Jets, goodbye, played great against the Chargers and played well today. We’ll need another great game. That was a great way to end it. Maybe I was as excited as I was for a long time. A lot of things, playing here or playing there can change everything, but this is football. I’m only proud of our team. ” – Brady
“It’s the way you toss the coin, I think you will say it. It’s something that he had great drive. He had a lot of third-order conversions. In the big moments, the guys were a huge hit. [Brady]. It’s something where all you can do is support your teammates, have confidence in your teammates, and when you get your chance, go there and try to play. ” – Mahomes
Who Won This Round: Brady left the award, Trip to the Super Bowl, and won it to get his sixth ring. Mahomes & Co left with motivation for next season.
Meaning: The Patriots were 10-2 and the heads 8-4. After starting slow in his first two games against Brady and the Patriots, Mahomes had a 226 yards, touchdown pass, and a 20-7 lead after the first 30 minutes. Brady and the Patriots burst in the second half but failed when a fourth pass was passed down into the finish area by Chiefs with just over a minute remaining. Mahomes finally claimed his victory in the competition as The Chiefs won 23-16.
[email protected] Finds @ MecoleHardman4 for 6️⃣ #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/6pGiIB1zSj
– Kansas City Chiefs December 8, 2019
Best Pivot Moment / Play for each QB: Mahomes threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman in the second quarter to give the Presidents a lead they wouldn’t concede. Brady lost what would have been a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter when officials incorrectly ruled that the receiver knocked out of the bounds before reaching the finish zone.
What they said: “Every match takes a little different feel and the modes are a little different, and it’s a different team every year too. So I might have a certain experience doing things, but this team as a whole hasn’t gone through different situations. So you just have to work through them throughout the whole season.” We have three big games, and we have to come back to win football. ” – Brady
First, I don’t think that will be [Brady’s] Last season. Still playing at a high level. But yeah, you want to beat the best, you want to go out and play against the best and do your best. But it is a team game, your team has to beat his team. It’s a really good soccer team, it’s a really difficult environment to play in, and so for us to find a way to win the game – it wasn’t good all the time, it was just a hard and tough win. – Mahomes
Who won this round: Mahomes. Both teams finished the season 12–4, but the head-to-head victory earned the Chiefs a playoff, which forced Brady and the Patriots to play over the weekend, when they lost 20-13 to the Tennessee Titans.
Fourth round, November 29, 2020
What that means for Mahomes: Unless the teams finish off at Super Bowl, it probably is for Mahomes-Brady. A win would allow Mahomes to tell his kids one day that he was even against Brady in four matches. No doubt Brady would boast of his 3–1 record against Mahomes if Bucks won.
What does that mean for Brady: Bucs fights for a clincher after knocking out number one in NFC South with a loss to New Orleans in Week 9 and falling to NFC number six after losing to Rams in Week 11. They know this then the game will set the course for the season. This crime set high numbers but still was inconsistent at times and had a hard time handling deep ball in recent weeks, which affected her ability to play big. Coach Bruce Arians believes this has nothing to do with Brady’s arm and more to it due to a lack of continuity with many of the new pieces.
Through conversations with former players, coaches and key figures, Peyton Manning has reached the heart of football’s history and cultural influence. Watch on ESPN +
Brady’s Challenge to Presidents: Brady looked his age at losing the Buck Family Monday night to the Rams. The challenge for superiors is whether or not they can press it down the way the rams did. The bosses’ pass was not so fruitful this season. The Chiefs need big games from Chris Jones and Frank Clark.
Challenge Mahomes presents to BucsTodd Bowles’ defense is high risk, high reward. If fouls get over the counterattack, they can get streaky plays – and Mahomes is considered one of the league’s best teams at overcoming the counterattack. Andy Reid also does a great job unlocking his receivers and finding those weak spots in the area’s defenses for the Mahomes.
Who has the advantage in one sentence?
It’s hard to pick against Mahomes, who might be on his way to a second MVP in his young career. – Teacher
Mahomes. Bucs’ pass defense has been shaky in recent weeks and appears to be weaker without Jamal Dean (concussion). – Lin
Evil tv scholar. Proud twitter aficionado. Travel ninja. Hipster-friendly zombie fanatic.