Tom Brady isn’t ready to dismiss the Kansas City Chiefs from the Super Bowl contender conversation. In fact, he’s making a big statement for the Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
IN his latest NFL power rankingsBrady put the Chiefs at No. 7 and he thinks Mahomes is playing like him again after tearing his ACL last December.
“I think, in a lot of ways, he’s back to (being) Patrick Mahomes,” Brady said. “What do I mean by that? His leadership, his discipline, his grit — all those things were on display. He’s going to pick up some steam. He’s missed football, he’s missed a lot of offseasons. But never sleep on No. 15 for the Chiefs.”
Mahomes didn’t have the strongest stat line in the Chiefs’ 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. But he also ran for a 15-yard score in the first quarter, making an old Mahomes-like play.
“Patrick Mahomes, are you kidding me? He might be able to contribute in this offense, too,” Brady said. He wasn’t avoiding any contact (Monday night); I am sure of that.
Statistically, Mahomes wasn’t the catalyst for the Chiefs’ offense on Monday night. Freshman Kenneth Walker III dominated the field. He rushed for a career-high 173 yards on 7.5 carries and a touchdown, with that 60-yard score giving Kansas City a decisive lead in the second half.
Walker’s performance earned a shout out from Brady. However, much of Brady’s comments focused on Mahomes, giving him a boost as many have compared the careers of the two quarterbacks. Brady also came back from an ACL injury at the same time as Mahomes in his career, so he knows what the Chiefs star is going through.
And while the Chiefs have a three-time Super Bowl winner at quarterback, he made it clear he’s not buying the idea that Kansas City is fading.
“Why are we counting them? Never count them,” Brady said.
Patrick Mahomes finished with three total touchdowns in Week 1 against the Broncos, throwing two and adding another on the ground in a 31-10 victory. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Brady closed with the same logic that has carried the Chiefs to multiple championship runs already: Put the right coach with the right quarterback in an organization built on winning, and results tend to follow.
“I’ve always felt like when you’ve got a great coach and you’ve got a great QB, and that organization has championship standards … watch out, man.
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