Tom Brady Is An All Time Great...HOWEVER

I feel like I need to write this because I'm seeing more and more of some not so fact based storylines and feelings being pushed and it would be downright irresponsible of me to not be your Sherpa to the light and the side of right in this instance. 

Before I go into this impassioned statement, let me state, Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. There get off my back, I hate the guy but I gotta give props where it is due. What I will not do however is not let the totality of his career, overshadow what the reality of the moment is. And that reality is, at this moment in time, January in the year of our Lord 2021, there is no greater quarterback on the planet Earth and possibly any other planet in our solar system that is playing better than one Patrick Lavon Mahomes II.

I've seen this described as the best quarterback matchup in history, however, watching these two teams play it doesn't feel like that. While it's true, Brady had an amazing season, considering he's 43 and on a new team. However, let's not pretend that three wins which the Buccaneers have in the postseason are solely because of number 12. Let's take the Green Bay game for instance.  He was 20 out of 36 passes, 280 yards, and three touchdowns. He also had three interceptions in 7 pass attempts. 

Basically being bailed out by the defense and Matt LaFleur deciding with some curious play calls that he did not want to win that game. Now juxtapose that with Mahomes, who against the Buffalo Bills completed 29 of 38 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions as the Chiefs easily won.

Now you may be thinking what about everything he did in New England? Sure, for the bulk of that run he was amazing but we can't overlook the fact that the last time he was in a Patriots uniform he looked closer to done than he did the best quarterback in the game. 

He completed 20 of 37 passes for 209 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. He threw bad passes all over the field and his interception came at the end of the game and was returned for a touchdown. The Touchdown Tommy who threw 50 touchdowns in a season was more than 12 seasons removed and he definitely looked it.

So, allow me to reiterate, Tom Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, but right now he is an above average quarterback on a good team. And there is absolutely no shame in that. He is still at worst, a top  2 quarterback of all time. But since Mahomes became a full time starter? He has been the gold standard of quarterbacking in the NFL.

Mahomes has led his team to more wins, has more passing yards, more touchdowns, a higher quarterback rating, and has a higher completion percentage. If you only take into account the playoffs, both have a 6-1 record but Mahomes again has more passing yards, higher completion percentage, higher quarterback rating, more touchdowns, and fewer interceptions. 

By every measurable metric the best quarterback, for this season, this era in which we are currently in is Patrick Mahomes. 

My Black Quarterback Agenda Continues!

Oh ladies and gentlemen it has been a while since I graced the hallowed pages of the Puma blog, but I felt that the time was right for me to return to the written word because I feel that you, my loyal readers deserve to know my feelings on the subject. Now what could be of such importance that I had to come back and right about it? The new president and his administration? No. A global pandemic? Nuh uh. The thing that has so ruffled a brother's collar has been the coverage of black quarterbacks in the NFL. You're damn right. 

So coming into the playoffs, one of the most prevalent storylines was "Can Lamar Jackson finally get over the hump and win a playoff game?" What makes it an absolutely bullshit narrative is the only person who got this was Jackson when guys like Phillip Rivers, Baker Mayfield, and Josh Allen all skated. 

The 2019 MVP, Big Truss, Woo Woo

Jackson just competed in his third season, and second as full time starter and we, we being the national media, not you my loyal reader, you good, treated Jackson as a guy who has been to the playoffs for years yet never sniffed a win. And therein lies the difference in how these quarterbacks are viewed. 

For instance, Josh Allen has had an amazing season.

He does have flaws to his game, yet to mention these and you are going to be drowned out by how he is a transcendent talent, an MVP candidate, etc etc etc. Allen led the Bills to the playoffs last season, yet there was no talk coming into these playoffs of "if he was able to win in the playoffs." Nor should there have been I would like to reiterate. But in comparing the treatment of Jackson to Allen, let's look at the numbers shall we? 

In 3 seasons, Jackson has a better win percentage, higher completion percentage, more passing tds, higher QB rating, fewer interceptions, more rushing yards and a higher yards per rush average. Not to mention Jackson had a historically great season winning MVP in 2019 with 36 passing tds to only 6 interceptions. Add to that 1,200 rushing yards and 7 more tds on the ground and you have a guy who should be getting praise instead of needless scrutiny. 

Now back to Allen, who I would like to state is a cool football player. The things he can do are amazing, he is definitely a guy who should be lauded. But let's pump the brakes on some of the more hyperbolic praise shall we? I saw the question posed, that basically asked had Allen caught up to Patrick Mahomes. 

And to this I state, are you on crack if you believe this? Something has clearly altered your way of thinking or clouded your judgement. So allow me to run down some of the accomplishments of this man, who like Allen is just in his 3rd year as a full time starter.

• Super Bowl champion (LIV)
• Super Bowl MVP (LIV)
• NFL Most Valuable Player (2018)
• NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2018)
• First-team All-Pro (2018)
• Second-team All-Pro (2020)
• 3× Pro Bowl (2018–2020)
• NFL passing touchdowns leader (2018)
• Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2020)

Allen has 1 - Pro Bowl and 1- 2nd Team All Pro to his resume. A great start to his career but what we are seeing in Mahomes is unprecedented. In the media's attempts to anoint the next Great White Hope let's not overlook the undisputed champion and all of the other "dual threat" quarterbacks that will be running the league sooner rather than later. 

Hopefully soon the narrative crafted will match the accomplishments of the young men who achieved the..