Unreal Patrick Mahomes stat proves Chiefs' QB is best in league history when trailing after three quarters
Patrick Mahomes -- All-Pro, MVP, Super Bowl Champion and master of the fourth-quarter.
If you were to ask 100 people who they think the best quarterback in the National Football League is, the majority answer would almost certainly be Patrick Mahomes. In fact, this stands true over the last handful of seasons.
All it takes is watching one Kansas City Chiefs game to figure out why.
Over the course of his career, Mahomes has done otherworldly things. Since becoming a starting quarterback in 2018, Kansas City has reached the AFC Championship Game each season, taking home the Lombardi Trophy in 2019.
The consistent success of the Chiefs under the 27-year-old is a direct result of quarterback play, as evidenced by his 106.2 career passer rating, which is the highest in NFL history.
That's why Kansas City typically heads into the fourth-quarter of ball games with the lead. And when they don't, the former first-round draft pick snatches the lead from his opponents with ease.
In games where the Chiefs enter the fourth-quarter trailing, Patrick Mahomes has a win percentage of .600 (9-6). Not only is this the highest in the Super Bowl era among quarterbacks who've been in this situation, at least, 15 times, but there's a world of difference between the first and second-highest mark.
Jay Schroeder, who also spent the majority of his career playing in the AFC West as the quarterback for the Raiders, is directly under Mahomes in this category with a win percentage of .357 (15-27).
The reason why Patrick Mahomes is so successful when it matters most is because he can hit the last receiver on Kansas City's depth chart for a 25-yard gain on a lengthy third-down conversion.
On 3rd & 17, #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes connects with receiver Justin Watson for 25 yards. #ChiefsKingdom https://t.co/eyhzTHEhCK
Of course, it doesn't hurt to have an All-Pro pass catcher such as Travis Kelce, who broke the plane twice in the fourth-quarter during the same game.
Mahomes is as good as it gets when all the chips are on the table.
Opposing teams have feasted on the Chiefs' defense since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in Kansas City
It's impossible to come back unless your defense gets a stop or two. Still, Kansas City's defense hasn't been all that great since Mahomes took over.
Since 2018, the Chiefs' defense has only been bottom-10 in percentage of opponents' drives ending in a score one single time. In 2018, during Mahomes' initial year as a starter, the defense ranked fifth-highest in this regard.
Eleven weeks into the current NFL season, opposing teams are scoring against Kansas City's defense at the 10th-highest rate.
Still, these comeback victories wouldn't be possible if the defense didn't tighten up down the stretch. A few flowers should be thrown at the unit for that.
It's hard to argue against Patrick Mahomes being the top quarterback in the NFL right now, and his career record when trailing after three quarters is just another reason why.