Upcoming Match-ups

Mahomes Favored to Throw for Most Yards in Conference Championships

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NFL Football

Updated Mar 24, 2020 · 4:16 PM PDT

Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will try to usurp Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Conference Championship. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire)
  • Sportsbooks favor Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to pass for the most yardage in Sunday’s Conference Championship Games
  • This season, Mahomes joined Peyton Manning as the only NFL QBs to pass for 5,000 yards and 50 TDs in the same season
  • Mahomes threw for 278 yards in the Chiefs’ Divisional Round win over the Colts

Some are viewing Sunday’s AFC Conference Championship Game as a proverbial passing of the torch in terms of great NFL QBs. It’s the GOAT – Tom Brady, 41, of the New England Patriots, with his five Super Bowl rings, facing the kid – Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, 23, who will be making his second career NFL postseason start.

Sportsbooks think that Mahomes will carry the day, offering odds favoring Mahomes to lead all quarterbacks in passing yardage during Conference Championship Sunday.

Odds to Record Most Passing Yards During NFL Conference Championships

Player Team Odds
Patrick Mahomes KC +225
Drew Brees NO +275
Jared Goff LAR +275
Tom Brady NE +275

Of the four surviving starting QBs, Mahomes threw for the third-most yardage in the Divisional Round, finishing with 278. Both Brady (343) and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints (301) finished with more yards. Only Jared Goff (186) of the Los Angeles Rams was less productive.

Will Mahomes Answer the Conference Call?

The numbers show that Mahomes clearly dialed back the dominance during the fourth quarter of the NFL regular season. The last time he passed for 300 yards in a game was in Week 14, a 377-yard effort in a 27-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. That’s also the only time he’s reached the 300-yard plateau in his past six games

Prior to that, Mahomes was a passing yardage machine. He threw for a season-high 478 yards in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams and passed for 300 or more yards in nine of the first 11 games of the 2018 NFL season.

Mahomes Did Light Up the Patriots

In a 43-40 Week Six loss at New England, Mahomes torched the Patriots defense for 352 yards and four touchdowns.

As impressive as those numbers are, that was just his third-best TD pass output of the season and his fifth-highest yardage compilation.

Should You Be Doubting Thomas?

In that game against Kansas City, Brady passed for 340 yards. He’s averaged 330 yards passing per game in his last 16 postseason appearances.

Since that game against the Chiefs, the Patriots have allowed just two QBS to pass for 300 yards in a game against them.

When the Saints beat the Rams 45-35 in Week Nine, both Brees (346 yards) and Goff (391) had field days through the air.

We like all of them to throw for more yards than Mahomes in the Conference Championship games, but since we have to settle for one, we’ll stick with the proven commodity and go with Brady.

Author Image