The new face of the NFL, Mahomes sets sights on Brady's record

GLENDALE -- The Kansas City Chiefs' thrilling victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday's Super Bowl was not just a fine advertisement for the modern NFL but it also signposted the future of the Patrick Mahomes era.

Mahomes cemented his status as the elite quarterback of the post-Tom Brady era after leading the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl win in four years, showing composure as well as resilience as he shrugged off an ankle injury to deliver a game-winning performance.

Many things will change in the league in the coming years but it is hard to envisage a future that doesn't feature Mahomes as a central protagonist.

Whether Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can maintain his presence in the elite is a more open question, but on Sunday he more than contributed to the spectacle with his ability to run with the ball, delivering three rushing touchdowns as well as a touchdown pass.

And while the 27-year-old Mahomes and Hurts, three years his junior, are very different quarterbacks in many aspects, they both have one quality that is likely to continue to grow in importance for quarterbacks -- mobility.

Brady, like his contemporary Peyton Manning, was a master of passing from the pocket, a quarterback who could read defenses, spot his opportunity and then deliver a perfectly weighted and directed pass.

Those qualities remain absolutely essential for any quarterback, but what made Sunday's game such compelling viewing, with barely a dull moment, was the willingness of both Mahomes and Hurts to move out of the pocket and make things happen.

The pair did so in significantly different ways.

Hurts rushed like a running back, surging forward with intent, strength and speed and his 70 yards on the ground were a record for a quarterback in the Super Bowl.

But unlike some other dual-threat quarterbacks of the past, Hurts is astute enough to know when to slide and avoid the crunchy tackles that increase risk of injuries.

Mahomes is nimble on his feet and has extraordinary awareness, using those gifts to scramble, finding himself space for a pass on the run or to make the yardage needed for a first down.

- Second guessing -

Those approaches make defenses second guess, provide uncertainty and open up possibilities across the field -- all of which adds to the unpredictability fans love.

There are no signs of NFL teams moving away from the trend towards mobile quarterbacks as this year's playoff contenders -- illustrated with Buffalo's Josh Allen, Cincinnati's Joe Burrow, San Francisco 49ers rookie Brock Purdy and Daniel Jones of the New York Giants -- are all able to scramble effectively.

It remains to be seen whether Hurts, for all his ability and impressive mindset, can build on his break-out season and become a consistent winner.

But Mahomes, now a two-time Most Valuable Player, is firmly at the top and has taken Brady's mantle as the face of the NFL.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid doesn't believe Mahomes will settle with what he has achieved so far.

"He strives to be the greatest. Without (him) saying anything, that is the way he works. He wants to be the greatest player ever," Reid said.

Taking that title from Brady, however, will require many more nights such as the one at State Farm Stadium.

Brady retired earlier this month at the age of 45 after stacking up a record seven Super Bowl wins during his record-shredding career with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mahomes isn't shying away from the challenge, though, and before Sunday's game he was open about his goal.

"I'm trying to catch Tom but Tom's a long ways away. You can ask me when I'm like 38 years old," he said.

"It's going to be tough. I mean, seven Super Bowl victories, 10 Super Bowls. There's a reason why he's so far ahead of everybody else. It's hard to do, but I'll do my best to chase it."

Whether he gets close to Brady or not, it promises to be fun to watch the chase.

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Chiefs overcome magnificent Hurts for Super Bowl win over Eagles

GLENDALE -- Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame the inspired Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to win their second Super Bowl in four years with a 38-35 win in a magnificent contest on Sunday.

Hurts produced four touchdowns, three of them rushing, and threw for 304 yards but ended on the losing side with a late field goal from Harrison Butker settling a ding-dong battle in Arizona.

Mahomes threw for three touchdowns and 182 yards but the Chiefs had game-winning displays across the field as they came back from ten points down at half-time to hand head coach Andy Reid a victory over his former team.

The game got off to an explosive start with the Eagles scoring a touchdown on the opening drive -- Hurts crossing with a quarterback sneak at the end of an impressive an 11-play, 75 yard drive.

But the Chiefs struck back swiftly with Mahomes connecting with Travis Kelce and Isiah Pacheco as he led the team down the field before crowning the drive with a perfectly floated pass to Kelce in the end-zone.

It was only the second time in Super Bowl history that both teams had scored on their first possession and that set the tone for the game.

Butker then missed a chance to put the Chiefs ahead with his 42-yard field goal drifting left and striking the post.

Hurts opened the second quarter in spectacular fashion with a brilliant 45 yard pass deep to A.J. Brown, who collected for the touchdown after his clever route left Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie flailing.

But Hurts gifted away the seven-point advantage on the next possession, dropping the ball without being challenged and Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton scooped up the fumble and ran 36 yards into the end-zone to level the game at 14-14.

- Chiefs fightback -

The mistake didn't deter Hurts from running with the ball however and after his 28-yard rush for a first down took the Eagles into the red zone, he restored the Eagles lead with a four-yard run into the end zone.

There was though a reminder of Mahomes' recent ankle injury when, running out of the pocket, he was tackled by T.J. Edwards and limped off the field.

The Eagles added a field goal before half-time, after more impressive running from Hurts, to go in 24-14 up at the interval.

Chiefs fears over Mahomes' ankle allayed when he came out for the second half and promptly led a 75-yard touchdown drive, including a 14-yard rush from the quarterback and ending with a one-yard run from Pacheco.

The Eagles added a field goal to go into the fourth quarter with a six-point lead but then the Chiefs came roaring back.

Philadelphia left Kadarius Toney wide open to collect a five=yard pass from Mahomes and put Kansas City 28-27 up and then Toney produced a brilliant 65-yard punt return to set up a near identical play on the other side, with Skyy Moore the gleefully wide-open receiver.

But the Eagles responded again with Hurts hurling a 46-yard pass deep left to DeVonta Smith and the quarterback completed the drive with a two-yard run for his third rushing touchdown before adding a two-point conversion for good measure.

It was the first time a quarterback had scored three rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl.

The two-point conversion levelled the score at 35-35 with 5:15 left in the game but the Chiefs managed the clock masterfully.

A controversial late holding call against the Eagles James Bradberry gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs near the Philadelphia line, and when after Butker's 27-yard field goal, there were just eight seconds left on the clock.

There was no time for a miracle and Mahomes, the two-times MVP became a two-time Super Bowl winner.

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Super Bowl champ Chiefs clinch division by beating Dolphins

LOS ANGELES -- The Kansas City Chiefs coughed up an uncharacteristic four turnovers but still beat the Miami Dolphins 33-27 on Sunday to clinch their fifth straight AFC West division title.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes received a rude welcome in his first appearance at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium since he earned MVP honors in a Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers in February.

He was intercepted twice and sacked for an NFL-record 30-yard loss in the first quarter as Miami seized an early 10-0 lead.

But the Chiefs scored 30 straight points to seize control and fended off the Dolphins' fourth-quarter rally bid to improve to 12-1.

Miami's defeat gave the Chiefs' main competition for the AFC's top overall seed, Pittsburgh, a boost, securing the Steelers' first postseason berth since 2017.

The Steelers, chasing the AFC North division title, took on the Buffalo Bills later Sunday.

Mahomes's three interceptions marked his first multi-interception game in more than two years. But he threw for 393 yards and two touchdowns.

Tyreek Hill scored on a 32-yard run and a 44-yard reception and Travis Kelce had eight catches for 136 yards and a TD.

Mecole Hardman returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown and Chiefs defender Chris Jones sacked Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a safety.

Tagovailoa passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns to Mike Gesicki, cutting the deficit to six points with less than five minutes to play before Harrison Butker kicked a 46-yard field goal for the Chiefs with just over a minute remaining.

Mahomes kept that drive going with a fourth-and-one pass to Hill.

In other early games, the Tennessee Titans tightened their hold on first place in the AFC South with a 31-10 victory over the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

Tennessee running back Derrick Henry ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns. His fourth game with at least 200 yards and two TDs broke the NFL record he previously shared with Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and LaDainian Tomlinson.

His ninth straight road game with more than 100 yards left him one shy of the NFL record established by Sanders over the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 26-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Superstar quarterback Brady threw touchdown passes to Scotty Miller and Rob Gronkowski and the Bucs benefitted from three missed field goals and a missed extra point by Vikings kicker Dan Bailey to secure the win.

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Rookie sensation Edwards-Helaire uses his running magic to beat Bills

LOS ANGELES -- Rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 161 yards, and Patrick Mahomes threw for two touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 26-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Monday.

Edwards-Helaire carried the ball 26 times for his second career 100-yard-plus game in front of a limited crowd of 14,000 at Bills Stadium in New York because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"When you have days like this, things just seem to part like the Red Sea,'' said Edwards-Helaire, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Mahomes completed 21 of 26 passes for 225 yards in his first career start against the Bills, and safety Daniel Sorensen helped seal the win with a late interception for the Chiefs, who improved to 5-1 on the season.

Playing in a steady rain on Monday, the Chiefs were eager to get rid of the sour taste in their mouths after a disappointing 40-32 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders in week five.

Heading into week six, the Chiefs knew they had to make some adjustments in their passing game because of injuries. Then, the Bills poor run coverage made their decisions a lot easier.

"Once we saw how deep their linebackers and safeties and corners were playing, we knew that we had the run game," Mahomes said. "So we really just stayed with it, and if teams are going to play us like this, you're going to see us run the football, and we have the guys that can do it.''

Chiefs take the lead

With receiver Sammy Watkins sitting out due to a hamstring injury, Demarcus Robinson saw an increase in his workload, leading all receivers with five catches for 69 yards.

Trusty target Travis Kelce made five catches for 65 yards, and Byron Pringle got 46 yards of offence out of two grabs in the first game between the two AFC clubs since 2017.

Sorensen made a clutch defensive play with 71 seconds to go as the Bills were making a last ditch effort to come from behind.

He then picked off a stray Josh Allen toss and ran it back four yards, which ended Buffalo's final drive of the game.

Allen completed 14 of 27 passes for 122 yards and two scores for the Bills, who like the Chiefs were trying to bounce back from their first loss of the NFL season. Allen also led the Bills in rushing on Monday with 42 yards on eight carries.

"I was not good enough. I got to do a better job, it's plain and simple," Allen said. "This team can't afford to have me play poorly."

The Bills finished with just 84 yards rushing while losing their second straight game.

Buffalo committed three turnovers in a crushing 42-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans in their most recent game.

The teams traded the lead three times in the first half before the Chiefs seized a 13-10 lead at halftime.

The Chiefs-Bills game was originally scheduled for last Thursday but was moved due to a coronavirus-related league scheduling change.

In the late game, Kyler Murray and Christian Kirk connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass and run as the Arizona Cardinals clobbered the Dallas Cowboys 38-10.

Despite the loss, which dropped them to 2-4 on the season, the hapless Cowboys are still in first place in the NFC East Division, where all four teams have losing records.

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Patrick Mahomes throws two TDs as Chiefs improve to 4-0

LOS ANGELES -- Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes as the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs beat the Cam Newton-less New England Patriots 26-10 on Monday in a game postponed by positive Covid-19 tests.

The game was pushed from Sunday after both teams reported positive tests for the coronavirus, including New England's quarterback Newton.

Mahomes passed for 236 yards, completing 19 of 29 attempts and spearheading the Chiefs to two touchdowns in the final 16 minutes. Kansas City is the first team in league history to start the season 4-0 four straight years.

"You've seen it this season. You've seen it last season. Even if you hold us down, we can go out there and make plays when they count," said Mahomes. "When your number is called you have to make plays, and I thought enough guys made plays that we were able to get out of there with a win."

Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman caught touchdown passes for the Chiefs, both on easy six-yard short passes from Mahomes in front of 12,700 fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Chiefs safety Tyran Mathieu helped seal the victory with a 25-yard interception and return with 8:48 left in the fourth quarter.

So far, Newton is the only Patriot to have tested positive for the virus. Organizers moved the game from Sunday to Monday so more tests could be conducted. Chiefs practice squad quarterback Jordan Ta'amu also tested positive.

New England's travel plans on Monday were altered to allow the players to travel in two aircraft. One carried the 20 players who have had contact with Newton, who was placed on the Covid-19 list on Saturday.

- Rodgers on song -

Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer replaced Newton but failed to get a touchdown despite getting into scoring territory twice. 

Hoyer was replaced in the third quarter by third-stringer Jarrett Stidham, who engineered a touchdown drive on his first possession. But Stidham also threw two interceptions.

The Patriots dropped to 2-2 on the season and are now two games back of the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. 

Damien Harris came off injured reserve to gain 100 yards on 17 carries. Harris had missed the first three games due to a hand injury.

The Patriots were missing running back Sony Michel who is out with a quad injury.

In the later game, Aaron Rodgers and Robert Tonyan connected on three touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers routed the Atlanta Falcons 30-16.

Rodgers completed 27 of 33 passes and finished with four touchdowns for the Packers, who improved to 4-0 on the season. Tonyan caught a career-high three touchdowns and six passes for 98 yards.

"He is a very consistent guy," Rodgers said of Tonyan. "Every year he is getting better. He's a really good player."

Jamaal Williams caught eight passes for 95 yards and Aaron Jones gained 111 yards, including 71 rushing. 

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan completed 28 of 39 passes for 285 yards for the Falcons, who dropped to 0-4. 

Falcon's Todd Gurley rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, while receiver Julio Jones caught four passes in the first half to become the franchise's all-time receptions leader with 812. He surpassed Roddy White, who had 808 from 2005-15. 

Rodgers passed for 228 yards and two touchdowns to help the Packers take a commanding 20-3 halftime lead.

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Chiefs QB Mahomes named Super Bowl MVP after win over 49ers

MIAMI - Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl on Sunday after leading the Chiefs to a 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL's championship game.

The 24-year-old ran in one touchdown and passed for two more as the Chiefs rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, becoming the youngest player to win both the NFL and Super Bowl MVP awards.

"You have to leave it all on the line when you’re in the Super Bowl," Mahomes said at a post-game media conference. "Just to be here it’s surreal, finding a way to win in the end."

Mahomes scored the first touchdown of the game with a one-yard rush and threw for 104 yards by the end of the first half.

The game was not always smooth sailing, however.


Mahomes threw interceptions in back-to-back possessions in the third quarter, the first of which led to a rushing touchdown by the Niners to extend their lead going into the fourth.

"They have an amazing defense. One of the best defenses I’ve went up against in my career so far," said Mahomes. "We weren’t executing at a high level."

Mahomes said even when things were going wrong his team mates were backing him to bounce back.

"Obviously the third quarter didn’t go the way I wanted it to," Mahomes told reporters. "But the guys believed in me (and) gave me confidence and kept fighting."

The win caps a stellar year by Mahomes, who rolled into Miami with a more-than 65% completion percentage for the regular season. 

(Reporting by Amy Tennery; additional reporting by Frank Pingue and Gene Cherry/Editing by Frank Pingue and Peter Rutherford)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NFL: Chiefs down 49ers, Brees sets record

LOS ANGELES -- Rising quarterback star Patrick Mahomes extended his phenomenal start to the season as the Kansas City Chiefs maintained their perfect record with a 38-27 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Mahomes threw for three touchdowns and amassed 314 yards in a duel with Jimmy Garoppolo that ended when the 49ers quarterback was carted off with a possible season-ending knee injury.

Mahomes, 23, has now passed for 13 touchdowns this season, the highest ever tally thrown by a quarterback after three games of a campaign, surpassing Peyton Manning's mark of 12 set in 2013.

Against the 49ers, Mahomes produced another virtuoso performance, displaying his phenomenal arm strength with one off-balance bullet pass to pick out Chris Conley in the end zone for a second quarter touchdown.

The Chiefs effectively sealed victory with a devastating first-half performance, laying waste to the 49ers' defence to take a 35-10 lead at the break.

Garoppolo rallied San Francisco after the restart to lead drives which resulted in touchdowns for Marquise Goodwin and Alfred Morris but the 49ers comeback stalled.

A disappointing afternoon got worse for the 49ers when Garoppolo was injured in the fourth quarter with what head coach Kyle Shanahan later said was a possible cruciate ligament injury.

"With Jimmy, we're fearing ACL (anterior cruciate ligament," Shanahan said. "We'll find out tomorrow. Any time you lose your starting quarterback, that is a big deal."

- Heavenly Brees fires Saints -

Elsewhere Sunday, a vintage display from New Orleans Saints veteran quarterback Drew Brees inspired a thrilling 43-37 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in their NFC South duel.

Brees dived over for the winning touchdown from one yard to silence the crowd at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It was Brees' second rushing touchdown of the game.

The 39-year-old also completed 39 of 49 passes for three touchdowns, in the process surpassing Brett Favre at the top of the NFL list for most completions.

"I'm grateful, very grateful," Brees said of his completions milestone. "I hope there's a lot more coming."

In the battle of Los Angeles, the Rams maintained their perfect start to the season with a 35-23 win over the Charges at the Memorial Coliseum.

Rams quarterback Jared Goff made 29 of 36 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns while running back Todd Gurley rushed for 105 yards and one touchdown. It was Gurley's second 100-yard rushing game this season.

The Chiefs' win over San Francisco meanwhile was made sweeter after unbeaten AFC West rivals Denver slumped to a 27-14 loss at Baltimore.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco completed 25 of 40 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown.

The Broncos were one of several unbeaten teams to suffer their first defeats of the season in early games on Sunday.

In the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars suffered a surprise 9-6 reverse to divisional rivals the Tennessee Titans.

The Cincinnati Bengals meanwhile were handed their first loss against a Cam Newton-inspired Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers ran out 31-21 winners with quarterback Newton rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for two more.

Newton has now racked up 57 rushing touchdowns in his eight seasons, more than any other quarterback in the Super Bowl era.

In the NFC North meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers were comprehensively thumped 31-17 by the Washington Redskins at Fedex Field.

Rodgers threw for two touchdowns and 265 yards but was matched by Redskins quarterback Alex Smith who also threw two touchdowns.

Veteran running back Adrian Peterson proved the difference, rushing for 120 yards and two touchdowns to complete the upset.

The Minnesota Vikings meanwhile were the victims of a surprise mauling by the winless Buffalo Bills in Minneapolis.

Rookie Bills quarterback Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another in a 27-6 win at the US Bank Stadium.

source: news.abs-cbn.com