Patrick Mahomes was again outclassed by Joe Burrow on Sunday night, with the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback appearing to be his kryptonite in the NFL.
Burrow had another dominant game against Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs as he threw for two touchdowns while running one into the endzone himself. A dramatic fourth quarter saw them edge the game 27-24, and in doing so Burrow set some impressive records against the Chiefs quarterback.
Mahomes has rarely been dominated since bursting onto the scene, at least not in successive games against one opponent or quarterback. But Burrow seems to love playing against the Chiefs star, and already has as many wins against him as Tom Brady.
The Bengals moved to 8-4 for the season, while the Chiefs missed the opportunity to hit 10 wins and dropped to 9-3. The last time he two teams faced one another was in the AFC Championship last season, and the Bengals won by the exact same scoreline on Sunday.
Burrow became the first quarterback to beat Mahomes in three-straight match-ups, as the Bengals' recent dominance continued. He also remains the only quarterback to face Mahomes multiple times and be undefeated in head-to-head matchups - including play-offs.
The Bengals quarterback has already matched Brady's record of three wins against Mahomes, and with Burrow only 25, this rivalry could continue for a long time. Mahomes will be keen to get his own back as soon as possible, and they could very well face one another again in the post-season.
Burrow is playing at 'MVP level' according to Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who is delighted with his quarterback. "He's playing at an MVP level – absolutely," Taylor said. "He gives us a lot of confidence."
Even after securing a huge win, Burrow admitted that they could still do more on the field. But the Bengals star said they know how to win games, which is vital with the regular season drawing to a close.
"We left some points on the field, but we still find a way to win," Burrow said in the post-game interview. "We've still got five weeks left. Let's keep this train rolling. This team knows what it takes to win these games. We've been there. It's December. It's time to separate ourselves."
Although Burrow was being given most of the praise, the quarterback paid tribute to those ahead of him on the field. When you have guys playing the way they are, it's a blessing," Burrow added.
"Not all quarterbacks in the league have that. We have guys up front that work really hard to get the job done. They fight their butts off every day to get better and put on a great performance every Sunday. They've shown that the last three-fourths of the games we've played."