One stat could jinx Patrick Mahomes ahead of Super Bowl 2023 faceoff against Jalen Hurts’ Eagles
The two best teams and the two best quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, will face off against each other in Super Bowl 2023. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs were the top seeds in the NFC and AFC respectively, both with a 14-3 regular season record. It is as evenly matched a game that could have transpired and should be a cracker of a contest.
With both teams having nearly an equal chance of winning the game, people are getting into the weeds trying to figure out who has a better chance of coming out on top. As is expected in the NFL, much of that conversation features around the quarterbacks.
Jalen Hurts has been exceptional this season. He has 3,701 yards in passing and 22 passing touchdowns for just six interceptions. While that in itself is not too shabby, his story is incomplete without mentioning the dual threat he brings to the position. He has also added 13 rushing touchdowns this season, and the Kansas City Chiefs know that stopping him from rushing will be crucial to their chances of winning.
Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, has played as he always does: on a different plane. He has thrown for 5,250 yards in the regular season, accounting for 41 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. Both these stats are the best in the league.
He also has four rushing touchdowns as well. His form and performances during the season have made him the presumptive MVP. At one point, Jalen Hurts was considered the favorite, but an injury in the later part of the regular season meant that it's now the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback's to lose.
Based on the touchdown numbers, one would expect Mahomes to slightly shade the battle between the quarterbacks. Furthermore, he has won a Super Bowl before and played in another, something Hurts has never done. So, the Chiefs quarterback has the benefit of additional experience.
However, there's one alarming statistic that could jinx him in the upcoming Super Bowl. Six quarterbacks have made it to the Super Bowl so far having led the league in passing yards during the season. Each of them, though, has gone on to lose the championship game. The roll call includes all-time greats like Dan Marino, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner.
If Mahomes indeed does win the Super Bowl, he will become the first quarterback to lift the Lombardi Trophy after ruling the roost in the regular season for passing yards. That's some tough historical precedent to overcome.
Patrick Mahomes is the 7th QB to reach the Super Bowl in season when he led NFL in yards passing. The others went 0-6:
Tom Brady 2017 season
Peyton Manning 2013
Brady 2007
Rich Gannon 2002
Kurt Warner 2001
Dan Marino 1984
Could the recent MVP curse favor Jalen Hurts over Patrick Mahomes?
As has been mentioned before, Patrick Mahomes is the favorite to win the MVP this season. It will be announced on February 9, just before the Super Bowl.
If the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback wins the award, as expected, he will go into the game as the reigning MVP. It will also be the second MVP award of his young career, signifying the exceptional level he has been playing at since he entered the league.
However, the last MVP to also lift the Lombardi Trophy was Kurt Warner all the way back in the 1999 season. Since then, league MVPs have failed to go all the way. Players like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers have failed to reverse the curse. Even Patrick Mahomes, who was the 2018 MVP, could not break the trend.
The last player to win the MVP and the Super Bowl in the same season was Kurt Warner in 1999.
Patrick Mahomes will have a chance to change that in two weeks. https://t.co/PO9QcClgiy
So, there's a weight of history weighing down on the shoulders of Patrick Mahomes.
He will be fighting the curse of becoming the first quarterback to win the Super Bowl this millennium after likely winning the MVP and throwing for the most passing yards during the season. However, if any quarterback in recent years has changed how the game is seen and played, it's him. We should never discount Patrick Mahomes when it comes to breaking new ground.