Andy Reid knows quarterbacks. So does Jon Gruden. And Sean Payton.
For years, these elite NFL coaches have praised the performances of Tom Brady, Mr. Six Rings. And they do the same now with Patrick Mahomes, the NFL’s biggest playmaker.
On Sunday, in a matchup that fits prime time but wasn’t one CBS was about to let get away from its afternoon lineup, Mahomes and the Chiefs visit Brady and Tampa Bay.
They come into the showdown on different paths. Mahomes was heroic — again — in bringing Kansas City (9-1) back at Las Vegas, avenging its only defeat this season.
Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians, who also knows a few things about quarterbacks, has called Mahomes’ college workout at Texas Tech “amazing.” A good word for Mahomes in the pros, too.
“The day I worked out Patrick, I think the wind was blowing about 35-40 miles per hour and it didn’t affect his ball at all,” he says. “It was amazing down in Lubbock that day.”
Arians, whose Bucs (7-4) have a bye next week (at last), saw his team and Brady struggle in a loss to the Rams on Monday night.
“We’ve got to get ready to play a great football team coming up,” Brady said. “Nothing has been great to this point. We’ve had some good wins, had some tough losses. Everything is about one week here in the NFL. We’re going to have to go play really, really well against a great football team next week.”
Yep.
Other key matchups:
Tennessee (7-3) at Indianapolis (7-3)
Both of these AFC South leaders won in overtime with comebacks last week. The Colts already won at Tennessee this month.
Tennessee has its best record after 10 games since going 10-0 in 2008, in part because the Titans have a league-low five turnovers. Derrick Henry became the first player in league history with multiple overtime rushing touchdowns in a single season and leads the NFL with 1,079 yards.
“That’s just what they do,” Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus says of Tennessee’s run game. “They are just going to stay committed to it, and we have to stay — we feel like we’re in good shape in terms of our perseverance, in terms of our discipline and we will want to take that in the game and being able to finish.”
The Colts have won four of their past five overall and four of the past five in this series. QB Philip Rivers (right big toe) hopes to make his 235th consecutive start, which would break a tie with Eli Manning for the 10th-most starts in league history.
Chicago (5-5) at Green Bay (7-3)
Neither side comes into this renewal of the league’s longest rivalry playing their best. Indeed, Chicago has dropped four in a row as its offense has disappeared. Green Bay is 3-3 after a 4-0 start.
The Packers have won their past four home matchups with the Bears. Green Bay has gone 19-5 against Chicago when Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback.
