Patrick Mahomes vs. Joe Burrow: The Modern-Day NFL Rivalry
Throughout the years the NFL has benefited due to intense battles between quarterbacks. Some that come to mind are Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman vs. Steve Young, and Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers. Each of these rivalries had their own unique storylines which contained drama that intrigued fans across the country. When these guys played against each other, it was a must-watch game. The big question going into the 2020s was which new rivalry would compete with the old. The question was up in the air for a few years but it took until 2021 for us to have an answer and that is Patrick Mahomes vs. Joe Burrow.
This rivalry is still very young, it has only been going on for two years. Mahomes and Burrow have faced off four times now, twice in 2021 and twice in 2022. Two out of four of these games were legacy games for both quarterbacks.
In 2021, the Bengals hosted the Chiefs in week 17. The game would end up being a shootout resulting in the Bengals winning 34-31. This also resulted in Cincinnati clinching the AFC North as well. Burrow was the star of the show, he threw for 4 touchdowns and 446 yards. Later in the postseason, Kanas City would host Cincinnati again but this time with higher stakes in the AFC Championship. The Chiefs were looking to make their second Superbowl appearance in two years, but that plan was ruined by the Bengals. Kansas City led at halftime 21-10, this wouldn’t matter as Cincinnati came all the way back to eventually win the game in overtime 27-24. The Chiefs got the ball first in overtime and looked to make their mark, instead the opposite occurred. Only three plays into their drive and Mahomes threw a deep pass intended for wide receiver Tyreek Hill but was intercepted instead by Cincinnati safety Vonn Bell. Burrow would lead a nine-play 42-yard drive that put Cincinnati in field goal position. Cincinnati then kicked the game-winning field goal to send the team to the Super Bowl in an upset win in Kansas City. An interesting stat that will haunt Chiefs fans for years is that in both games the Chiefs led by 11 points going into halftime and still lost each game.
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In 2022, the narrative continued that the Bengals owned the Chiefs. This was due to the Bengals once again beating the Chiefs 27-24 in week 13. The game was back and forth but Cincinnati scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter and eventually won the game. Later in the postseason just like in 2021, both teams met at Kansas City in the AFC Championship. The pressure was heavy on the Chiefs, the national media was starting to build the narrative that Mahomes could not beat Burrow, also a few Bengals players publicly trashed the Chiefs which only added more hype to the event. Mahomes and the Chiefs would come out on top in a gutsy performance ending in a score of 23-20. Mahomes had a stellar game, he threw for two touchdowns and 326 yards, while also leading the Chiefs on a game-winning drive that resulted in a made field goal to win the game. Burrow finally had a worse performance than Mahomes, he threw for only one touchdown, 270 yards, and two interceptions.
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Going into the 2023 season and beyond, I cannot wait to see how this rivalry plays out. Yes the AFC is stacked with competition such as Buffalo, Baltimore, Jacksonville, and New York but I don’t see how Mahomes and Burrow don’t play a couple more playoff games throughout their careers. Recently Burrow even stated that Mahomes is better than him, I would say that is the majority vote at the moment for the public. One day Burrow could surpass Mahomes as the best quarterback in the NFL but he’s going to need to win many more individual and team awards to warrant that status. Not surprisingly, the NFL has both teams playing again this year so we will see our 5th game of these heavyweights and I cannot wait to see how that plays out. Regardless, it’s safe to say that the NFL is in good hands for years to come.
