Getty Images Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes won his first career matchup with Drew Brees in Week 15.
It took a team effort, but the Kansas City Chiefs knocked off the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to complete a perfect road circuit, a first for the franchise in the Super Bowl era.
The Chiefs have gone 8-0 in road contests in 2020, becoming the 8th team since the switch to the 16-game schedule in 1978 to go 8-0 in road games, and the 1st to accomplish since the 2016 NE Patriots.
The 32-29 victory marked Patrick Mahomes’ first career matchup against counterpart Drew Brees, who in his first game back after fracturing 11 ribs and puncturing a lung in Week 10, was held under a 50% completion percentage for the first time in 115 straight games.
END OF RECORD STREAK ALERT: Drew Brees had thrown for a completion percentage of above 50% in 115 consecutive games, which is the all-time NFL record. He hadn’t had a completion rate under 50% since 10/13/2013 against NE. That streak ended today, as Brees was just 15-for-34.
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Mahomes, Brees Share Same Financial Advisor
After the game, the fourth-year superstar shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated battle with the Saints’ 41-year-old veteran.
“I watched [Brees] growing up — I don’t want to make him sound old or anything, but he was one of the guys that I idolized,” Mahomes told Tracy Wolfson of CBS. “So for me to go up against him at the Superdome…it was a great experience and I’m glad we came out with the win.”
Soon after in his postgame press conference, Mahomes also voluntarily pointed out a unique similarity between the Super Bowl champion quarterbacks, sharing that both he and Brees share the same financial advisor off the field.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on his postgame interaction with Saints QB Drew Brees points out it was all about “a bunch of respect.” Mahomes said he watched Brees growing up, adds they now share the same financial advisor.
“He’s one of the best to ever do it,” Mahomes said.
The Chiefs MVP passer, who completed 26 of 47 passes for three touchdowns and only 254 yards, was largely held in check by a Saints defensive unit ranked second in yards allowed coming into the day. Working behind a depleted offensive line, Mahomes was on the receiving end of four sacks for the first time all season. The banged-up unit has now allowed seven of its 22 sacks this year in the last two weeks, both on the road.
Kansas City still managed to drop 411 total yards in the road victory, thanks in part to a balanced rushing attack that totaled 179 yards and a key fourth-quarter option touchdown from Mahomes to Le’Veon Bell.
Le’veon Bell on the option play for a TD: “I’ve never had an easier touchdown.” #Chiefs
Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill Nearing Record Books
While the top-ranked Chiefs passing attack was active again in Week 15, especially in the first half, the final stat sheet was less eye-popping than usual as Andy Reid and company elected to run the ball and the clock in the final minutes. Still, two of the NFL’s leading receivers inched closer to the record books.
Travis Kelce, who entered Sunday as the No. 1 receiver in all of football, led the way with eight receptions for 68 yards and his 10th touchdown catch of the year, tying his career-high set in 2018. However, he did fall off the league-lead for receiving yards after a monster 169-yard showing from the Arizona Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins.
Travis Kelce now has 98 catches for 1,318 yards. DeAndre Hopkins jumps to the top of the leaderboard with 1,324 yards, Stefon Diggs third with 1,314.
The two-time All-Pro now needs just 60 yards to break the all-time single-season receiving yards record by a tight end (1,377) set by George Kittle back in 2018. He’ll look to surpass that impressive mark, as well as his own career-best (1,336) next week in a home tilt against the reeling Atlanta Falcons.
Tyreek Hill wasn’t too far behind his teammate, posting 53 receiving yards and his league-leading 17th score of the 2020 campaign. With that latest touchdown catch, the 26-year-old speedster pulled into a tie with Dwayne Bowe (2010) for the franchise record for single-season receiving touchdowns (15). Hill did not score against the Falcons in his first career start back in 2016, but has as good a chance as any pass-catcher to score in Week 16 against an Atlanta defense surrendering the second-most receiving yards (3,851) in the NFL to date.
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Chris Licata is an NFL contributor covering the Kansas City Chiefs from enemy territory in Denver, Colorado. Follow him on Twitter @Chris__Licata or join the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook community for the latest out of Chiefs Kingdom!
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Patrick Mahomes Points out Quirky Similarity With Saints’ Drew Brees