Tom Brady and the New England Patriots occasionally seemed to muddle their way through the regular season, not quite looking like themselves, before turning it on in the postseason and reminding everybody that they were still the Patriots.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of something similar. Perhaps that’s an inevitable dynamic of any dynasty, being able to summon your best when it matters most despite any prior setbacks.
Playoff Mahomes and Travis Kelce seem to be a different animal entirely.
Mahomes, in particular, has some truly absurd playoff statistics so far in his career, even ignoring his win rate, record and the fact that the AFC Championship game has been his minimum point of progression to date.
In his six-year career as a starter, Mahomes has taken 714 postseason dropbacks — or around a full season’s worth of play. They have led to 39 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 106.3 passer rating, against the best teams the NFL has to offer.
If anything, those statistics don’t do his performance justice. His 1.7% turnover-worthy play rate is more than a full percentage point lower than his career regular-season baseline (2.8%). During the 2022 playoffs, while he was dealing with an ankle injury that severely limited his movement, he made just one turnover-worthy play across three games.
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