Throughout the decades, there has always been great quarterback match-ups that we couldn’t wait to watch and hated to see end. Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Peyton Manning (Colts/Broncos) might be considered one of the greatest match-ups we have ever seen in our lifetime.
Brady and Manning have 8 Super Bowl wins, 8 regular season MVPs (Most Valuable Player), 1,056 touchdowns, 140,000 yards and 13 Super Bowl appearances between the both of them.
This Sunday in Kansas City we will see two of the NFL’s young elite quarterbacks, Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson, go head to head for the first time in what many analyst and commentators have dubbed Brady vs. Manning 2.0. But, that title seems to take away from the greatness of both men who have accomplished a great deal in their own right.
In 2017, Watson stepped on the scene as a rookie and lit the NFL world on fire, becoming the first QB for multiple mentions such as: 1st QB in 56 years to throw for 4 touchdowns and rush for 1, most touchdowns in a month (16) by a rookie QB (NFL Record), 5 total scores in a single game by a rookie QB (Tied NFL Record), just to name a few.
However, his season was cut short due to a non-contact ACL knee injury. In 2018, he got off to a rough start but eventually found his form while throwing for 4,000 yards, 26 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Miraculously, those numbers were put up with him running for his life all season due to a porous offensive line in which he was sacked 62 times, a league high.
Mahomes on the other hand only played one game his rookie year which resulted in no touchdowns and one interception. In 2018, he commenced to put up numbers you would only see on Madden if you customized a rookie QB where you put everything on 99 ratings, in which he threw for 5,000 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Due to those numbers, Mahomes was crowned NFL MVP by a wide margin in his first full season.
For decades, the prototypical QB ruled the NFL while the Dual-Threat QB, who are mostly black quarterbacks, stood in QB purgatory where they were asked to either try-out at other positions, become gadget players or back-ups, left wondering when they would get their chance to prove they belonged.
There have been some outliers who dealt with the scrutiny, stuck with it and paved the way, such as Warren Moon (Oilers), Doug Williams (Redskins), Randall Cunningham ( Eagles/Vikings), Michael Vick (Falcons), and Russell Wilson (Seahawks).
What sets Mahomes and Watson apart from Brady vs. Manning, is not the fact that they are black quarterbacks, even though that does play an important role due to the historical uphill challenges of black quarterbacks, but these two take the epithet of “Dual-Threat” to the next level.
When given time to throw, Mahomes and Watson have put up astronomical numbers. We are talking about pin-point accuracy similar to threading a needle on short, medium and long range passing. They have mastered above average arm strength to produce laser striking capability to fit the ball in tight windows before defenders can react. If given a lane when playing man coverage, they can jump out the window and run for 20 plus yards with ease.
The two players blaze a trail in their ability to improvise on a moments notice during a play break down. These are just some of the physical attributes that make them stand out.
For Watson, he has been in multiple pressure situations dating back to the Clemson versus Alabama days where he beat Nick Saban once and had him on the ropes another time, while Mahomes went toe to toe with the goat Tom Brady in a AFC Champ game, but lost due to a defense letdown.
They both have the charisma and confidence to be called leader of men on and off the field. They say pressure either bust pipes or makes diamonds, well these two are as cool as the other side of the pillow because they crave the pressure.
The future of the quarterback position will be on full display this weekend in the very capable hands of these two young, talented men. Let the rivalry begin.
The Texans (3-2) versus Chiefs (4-1) game will broadcast on CBS this Sunday, Oct. 13.
