Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is the best quarterback in the NFL right now.
There are, to be sure, a lot of other great quarterbacks in the league, including Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, but Mahomes is definitely No. 1. There is absolutely no question about it. In fact, Mahomes is on the fast track to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.
Andy Reid of the Chiefs is the best head coach in the game at this time. There are, to be sure, a lot of other great head coaches in the league, including Nick Sirianni of the Eagles, but Reid is definitely No. 1. There is absolutely no question about it. In fact, Reid will almost certainly be in the HOF someday.
Quarterback is the most important position in team sports. The most important combination in sports is that of the quarterback and the head coach. Teams strive to get the best quarterback and head coach they can so they can be paired together. It is the foundation of success.
For instance, when the Browns had quarterback Otto Graham and head coach Paul Brown, two of the best ever at those crafts, the 10 years they were together resulted in 10 league championship game appearances, with seven titles. Pro football had never seen anything like it before, and hasn’t seen anything like it since.
The Graham and Brown of this era, then, are Mahomes and Reid, taking over for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, who had ruled for two decades.
Because of that — because the Chiefs have the best at the most important spots — I am picking them to win Super Bowl 57 — Heinz should sponsor this, right? — on Sunday night.
The Eagles have the best team in football from top to bottom, and while that is usually enough — the best team should win, right? — it won’t be quite enough this time because of the presence of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
The score will be 33-30.
And while we’re on the subject of Reid, I can’t believe this is the same guy I saw trudging off the field at Veterans Stadium, to the tune of some boos and catcalls, following his Eagles’ 30-17 win over Chris Palmer’s expansion Browns in the 1999 preseason finale. The Eagles were bad, and it didn’t seem that this virtual unknown had any chance of making them any better. But he eventually got them to the Super Bowl again and again and again and is doing that now with the Chiefs.
Wow!!
Who knew?
Steve King
