‘Nobody wins like Mahomes.’ NFL pundits praise Chiefs QB despite dip in his stats

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ eight interceptions are the most in the NFL, and he’s thrown just six touchdown passes this season.

Mahomes hasn’t had a touchdown pass in the Chiefs’ last two games and he had only 154 passing yards Sunday in a 28-18 win over the 49ers.

Despite that, the Chiefs are the NFL’s only unbeaten team at 6-0. And Mahomes made two huge plays with his leg in Sunday’s game: A dazzling 33-yard scamper and a 1-yard touchdown run in which he crushed a 49ers player.

That’s why multiple NFL media members were quick to praise Mahomes despite his down year statistically. Here is what was being said about Mahomes following Sunday’s game.

Former Patriots/Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady talked about Mahomes’ strong play on Fox Sports’ postgame show.

“Crazy stats this year for him, only six touchdowns. I think he’s up to eight interceptions now,” Brady said. “But what I love about his game is he’s just finding ways to win. And we talked about the scramble there, which was really impressive, kind of fake the shuffle pass and then get outside the pocket. I just think he’s doing whatever he needs to help this team win.

“And he knows he’s got a defense that’s going to limit points, limit yards, and when you have that, it’s just a different mentality for a quarterback. He doesn’t have to feel like he goes out there and it’s like bombs over Baghdad. He just takes what they give him. If it’s not there, he throws it away. Plays field position. Get some contributions in special teams and just an all-around great team effort for a great team win.”

Former Pittsburgh/Washington safety Ryan Clark of The Pivot podcast wrote on X: “It feels like no matter how tough a day 15 has had he is going to show up in that most important parts of the game. Get him to the critical football moments and he will get you out of them in crunch time.”

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg wrote about those two runs and wrote on X: “What a drive for Mahomes. The elusiveness on the long run, then trucks a defender on fourth and goal. Practically every game he does something that — if anyone else did — we’d talk about it all week. Even when he’s not at his best, he’s as good as we’ve ever seen.”

Fellow ESPN pundit Louis Riddick Jr. shared this on X: “We hate when players become great and make your favorite team look bad huh…#15 could …’can take his’n and beat your’n, and then he can turn around and take your’n and beat his’n....’ If you don’t know what I mean…look it up”

Riddick was quoting former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips.

Grant Cohn, the publisher of 49ers on SI, wrote on X: “If you’re using statistics to judge Patrick Mahomes in 2024, you don’t know ball.”

Brian Baldinger, an analyst for the NFL Network, shared this video of Mahomes’ touchdown run. He wrote: “Nobody wins like Mahomes.”

Former NFL defensive end Chris Long said on his Green Light podcast that Mahomes stepped up when it mattered most.

“With the game on the line, he runs away from Fred Warner, and then he shakes somebody else, and he does the ball fake, like, just sticks the ball in your face and you fall for it,” Long said. “And he tiptoes down the sideline and then finishes the drive, running over the guy that’s been tattooing people for 48 minutes. He ran over (Malik) Mustafa. His feet were in the air. It was one of the most Alpha things. I think every male in America that watched that, their testosterone got raised.”