Who Has Defeated Patrick Mahomes in the Playoffs?

Thu, Jan 23, 2025
By Veri.bet

Patrick Mahomes has quickly cemented himself as one of the NFL's greatest-ever quarterbacks, setting records, dazzling with his athleticism, and leading his Kansas City Chiefs to consistent success since becoming a starter in 2018. He has led his beloved KC to the Lombardi in each of the last two seasons, and this year, he is on the hunt to make history.

Once again, the Arrowhead side has reached the latter stages of the playoffs, putting them on the brink of immortality. No team has ever won the Super Bowl in three successive seasons, and websites that offer punters a bet on the Super Bowl fancy the Chiefs' chances of doing exactly that. Online bookmakers allowing one to place a bet on Super Bowl LIX currently make the reigning champions a +220 second favorite for yet another crown, narrowly behind the +190 Philadelphia Eagles.

For the former Texas Tech standout, all he has ever known throughout his stellar career is success. Since becoming a starter back in 2018, both he and the Chiefs have reached the AFC Championship game at the very least. That's seven straight conference championships in a row. Four of those games have resulted in Andy Reid's men reaching the Super Bowl and three of those Big Game visits have resulted in the Lombardi.

Throughout the epic run, only two men have ever beaten Mahomes under the brightest lights. But who are they? Let's find out.

Tom Brady

Few names in NFL history can match the magnitude of Tom Brady. The recently retired star has ten Super Bowl appearances to his name, winning seven of them and securing the MVP award in five. Toward the latter end of his career, he truly came into his own and embarked upon an epic streak of his own, much like the Chiefs today.

Between 2011 and 2018, Brady and the Pats reached eight straight AFC Championship games. And the last of them was pitted against an up-and-coming Mahomes, who had just secured his first-ever MVP award.

2018 AFC Championship Game

Throughout his first season as a starter, Mahomes took the league by storm. He threw for 50 touchdowns throughout the regular season, helping his side to a 12-4 record and top-seed status in the AFC. After defeating the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round, the Chiefs embarked upon a mouthwatering clash with a New England Patriots side at the height of its dynasty era and on the hunt for a third straight Super Bowl appearance.

The Arrowhead contest pitted the future against the present as Mahomes clashed against Brady in a battle that captured the world's attention. And once the game got underway, it was a back-and-forth thriller.

Mahomes struggled early and was held scoreless in the first half, but he erupted after halftime, displaying his trademark explosiveness with deep completions and big plays. The Chiefs clawed their way back from a 14-0 deficit, forcing overtime after their stunning young quarterback drove his team into field goal range during the final seconds of regulation.

However, the coin flip in overtime tilted the scales. Brady, a veteran of clutch moments, marched the Patriots downfield, converting three critical third-and-longs. With the Boston-based outfit in position, running back Rex Burkhead sealed the game with a touchdown, securing a 37-31 victory.

Super Bowl LV

Two years later, Brady and Mahomes would meet in the postseason once again, this time at Super Bowl LV. TB12 had moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the ripe old age of 42, but after leading his side to three straight road victories in the postseason, he proved that he still had plenty left in the tank. His younger rival meanwhile had ascended to his throne, securing his first championship ring the year prior and becoming arguably the greatest player on the planet.

Unlike two years prior, this contest would have a much more decisive conclusion. The Bucs routed their rival Chiefs primarily thanks to their defense. Mahomes was under relentless pressure all night long and spent most of the game scrambling for his life behind a leaky offensive line. Brady, on the other hand, was clinical.

He threw three touchdowns and earned his seventh Super Bowl ring. The game wasn’t just a statement win for Brady—it was an important moment in NFL history, as the seasoned veteran outdueled a young star, cementing his own legacy. While Mahomes has shone in the years since, Brady's resounding victory in the twilight of his career seals his status as the greatest of all time, narrowly ahead of the KC superstar.

Joe Burrow

Ever since being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the first overall pick of the 2020 draft, Joe Burrow has proven himself to be a sensation. He delivered one of the greatest ever seasons in college football history in 2019 as he picked up the Heisman and led the LSU Tigers to a national championship. But nobody could have expected just how quickly he would develop in the NFL.

2021 AFC Championship Game

In Burrow's first full campaign with Cincy, he led the Bengals to a 10-7 record and the AFC North title. Then, he masterminded a 26-19 victory against the Raiders in the wildcard round, the Bengals' first playoff win in over three decades. Another victory followed against the Tennessee Titans, securing a meeting with the Chiefs in the conference championships.

By this point, Kansas City was without question the dominant force in the league and they were a huge favorite against a Cincy side that had finished with a paltry 4-11 record the year before. They had just dismantled the Buffalo Bills in a thriller in the previous round, and the Bengals were thought to be a much lesser opponent than Josh Allen and Co. And that sentiment appeared to be spot on when the hosts raced into a 21-3 lead at Arrowhead.

But Burrow and the Bengals didn’t flinch. Gradually, they chipped away at the deficit, with Joey B leading clutch drives and his defense stepping up to shut down Kansas City’s offense. Burrow outlasted Mahomes in crunch time, and he managed to tie up the score at 24-24, forcing overtime. Once again, just as it was against Brady, the coin toss became pivotal, and this time it was won by KC.