Tipping my cap to greatness

Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their third Super Bowl title in four years on Sunday, establishing the NFL’s latest dynasty and the first since the Patriots in the early 2000’s.

As expected, Mahomes’ late-game heroics were the difference and we are watching an NFL legend in the prime of his career making history.

Many New England fans rooted against Mahomes and are protective of Tom Brady, who is the unanimous greatest of all time at the moment. Many believe that with this win, Mahomes is encroaching on Brady’s legacy and reopening the conversation on who the best to ever do it is.

I understand the worry, and I am as big a Brady supporter as there is. However, I am much more interested in seeing high-level play on the field and letting the results take care of themselves than I am trying to protect Brady’s resume.

If we’re being honest … Mahomes is far more talented than Brady. Better arm, better athlete, better on his feet, better playmaker. Brady still holds the edge on IQ and clutch ability, but Mahomes is not even 30 years old yet. His IQ will only increase for the next 10 years and he will have plenty of big moments to prove his clutch, those things will come.

Who is the greatest of all time? It’s very obviously Brady. Seven rings versus three. Case closed.

But, I do believe we are watching something special in Mahomes, and a quarterback that has a very real chance of eclipsing Brady. Mahomes is the only current quarterback with a shot at it, and could be the only one for awhile.

Am I worried? Not at all.

We watch sports to see these generational athletes compete and put on big performances on the biggest stages. When we are seeing these players transcend logic the way that Mahomes has been the past few years, we should be thrilled knowing that every Sunday for the next decade will provide us with something entertaining to watch, even if it is for a team that is not our own.

Records are meant to be broken. At some point, especially with the NFL quickly transitioning to a purely offensive sport, Brady is going to be caught up to. I know us diehard Patriot fans are hoping to never have to admit that Brady is not the unquestioned GOAT, but to be rooting against Mahomes and these other quarterbacks takes the fun out of watching the game. It goes against what being a sports fan is all about.

Not to mention the fact that Mahomes, in reality, is still miles away from catching up. He has been the best player in football the past four years and it feels like he has been unstoppable. To catch Brady, he will have to stay at this pace for another 10 or so years. Possible yes, probable no. So before you lose your mind, thinking that Brady’s legacy is endangered, take a breath and look at the numbers. Relax.

My biggest takeaway other than Mahomes’ excellence is how far the Patriots are from being a contender again.

What did these two teams have on Sunday? Quality quarterback play, playmakers on offense, sturdy lines on both offense and defense, lockdown players in the defensive secondary, consistent special teams. The Patriots don’t have a quarterback, are lacking playmakers, have lines that are littered with impending free agents. Not to mention the fact that they cleared house and completely rebuilt their coaching staff. There will be very little continuity when it comes to leadership, which was necessary, but will certainly be a hurdle the next two seasons.

Even though the 49ers lost, that team would have smoked the Patriots 10 times out of 10. Sure, the Pats have a ton of salary cap space and premium draft picks to work with, but Sunday’s game was eye opening when stacking up the Pats to those two clubs. Heavyweight versus featherweight.

Considering everything above, let’s not feel negative or insecure about Mahomes and the Chiefs. The hometown team will not be providing many memorable moments for the next few seasons, so we might as well enjoy quality play when it’s right in front of us.

Bill O’Brien was just hired to coach Boston College, so if you really can’t stomach this new NFL great light up the scoreboard each week, then root for the nearby Eagles and try to ignite some local college football fandom.

I’m only being a little sarcastic.