What PatrickMahomes has done in the past six seasons is beyond incredible. He’s without a doubt the greatest quarterback in the league right now and has all the stats, accolades, and highlights to prove it – consistently getting the job done in both the regular season and playoffs for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 27-year-old entered the league as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie year as the backup to AlexSmith, but was named full-time starting quarterback the following season and has been lights out ever since – accomplishing more in his first five seasons than any other QB in history.
In 80 career regular season starts, Patrick Mahomes has a 64-16-0 record and has thrown for 24,241 yards, 192 TDs, and just 49 interceptions – he also has 1,547 yards and 12 TDs on the ground. He’s a five-time Pro Bowl QB, two-time All-Pro, two-time MVP, and was Offensive Player of the Year in 2018.
Patrick Mahomes Has 11 Playoff Wins Under His Belt
Patrick Mahomes is just as impressive in the playoffs as he is in the regular season. Despite being just 27 years old, he has already been to the playoffs five times and has 14 playoff games under his belt. He has led his team to an 11-3 record as starting quarterback and has been the primary reason for their success.
In those 14 playoff games, Mahomes has thrown for 4,084 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions – adding another 383 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. He threw for more than 400 yards once, more than 300 yards five times, and threw for five touchdowns twice in his playoff career thus far.
Most importantly, Patrick Mahomes helped lead his team to a Super Bowl championship twice (2020, 2023) and won Super Bowl MVP both times. And to make his playoff career sound even more incredible, his 11 playoff wins (in just five seasons) are more than 10 – count them, TEN – franchises in the NFL.
Let’s see which NFL franchises need to step their game up in the coming years.
The Cincinnati Bengals were founded in 1968 and played two seasons in the AFL before making their NFL debut in 1970 as a part of the AFL-NFL merger. The team has a 385-463-5 all-time regular season
record and won 11 division titles – including the AFC Central five times and the AFC North six times.
Over the past 55 seasons, the Bengals have been to the playoffs 16 times and have a 10-16 record in the postseason. They’ve been to four AFC Championship games and appeared in three Super Bowls, but have yet to win a title – all three of their Super Bowl appearances were decided by five points or less.
The Bengals had five playoff wins between 1981 and 1990 – reaching the Super Bowl twice during that span, but losing to the 49ers each time. After losing to the Raiders in the Divisional Round in 1990, the Bengals went on a 14-year playoff drought until snapping that drought during the 2005 season.
They made the playoffs six times between 2009 and 2015, but failed to secure a win during that time. A five-year playoff drought followed, but they’ve now won five playoff games over the past two seasons (2021 and 2022) – including two trips to the AFC Championship game and one trip to the Super Bowl.
7. New Orleans Saints – 10 playoff wins
End of an era in New Orleans
– 15 seasons as Saints HC – 152-89 record – 9 playoff appearances – 1 SB Win (only one in franchise history) – NFL coach of the year in 2006 pic.twitter.com/lhjhfXuzAA
The New Orleans Saints were founded in 1966 as an expansion team and began play in the NFL during the 1967 season. They were considered the laughing stock of the league for the first three decades of their existence, but were much more successful when DrewBrees and SeanPayton came into town.
The Saints missed the playoffs in each of their first 20 seasons. Their first playoff appearance came in 1987 and they made three more appearances in 1990, 1991, and 1992. Unfortunately, they failed to make it out of the Wild Card and went on another seven-year playoff drought leading up to the 2000 campaign.
That was a special year for the Saints, who earned their first playoff win in 2000 before losing in the Divisional Round. Another five-year playoff drought followed, but then Payton and Brees teamed up to create quite the dynasty together. They spent 15 years together and made the playoffs nine times.
To put their success into perspective, the Saints have 10 playoff wins in franchise history – Brees and Payton secured nine of those wins and even won a Super Bowl in 2009 (they made three appearances in the NFC Championship). They haven’t been to the playoffs in two years, but that could change very soon.
6. Atlanta Falcons – 10 playoff wins
Since drafting QB Matt Ryan in 2008, the #Falcons have made the playoffs 6 times.
The Atlanta Falcons were founded in 1965 as an expansion team and bergan play in the NFL during the 1966 season. They failed to make the playoffs 12 years in a row, but finally ended their playoff drought in 1978 – they earned their first playoff win that year. They made the playoffs in two of the next four years.
Their next playoff win came in 1991, but they again failed to advance past the Divisional Round. That all changed when they earned a first round bye in 1998 and earned a trip to Super Bowl XXXIII – they lost to the Broncos. They drafted Michael Vick a few years later, who led them to a playoff win in 2002 and 2004.
Between 2008 and 2017, Matt Ryan helped turn the Atlanta Falcons into a consistent playoff team. They made the playoffs six of ten years and had a 3-6 playoff record – earning a trip to the NFC Championship game twice and the Super Bowl once, where they gave up a 21-3 halftime lead just to lose in overtime.
The Atlanta Falcons haven’t been to the playoffs since 2017 and are riding a five-year playoff drought, but expectations are starting to rise in the ATL. With a 10-14 all-time record in the playoffs, they’ve proven they can win on the league’s biggest stages – the problem is they don’t get there quite often enough.
5. Carolina Panthers – 9 playoff wins
The Carolina Panthers have appeared in the NFL Playoffs 6 times, in 1996, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, and 2014. pic.twitter.com/hN8u3AfIm3
— Tweets of #Charlotte (@Follow704News) May 24, 2017
The Carolina Panthers were founded in 1993 and joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995. The team has had their ups and downs over the past three decades, putting together a 212-237-1 all-time regular season record and 9-8 playoff record – earning two trips to the Super Bowl in 2003 and 2015.
The Panthers went 7-9-0 in their inaugural season and missed the playoffs, but won their division with a 12-4-0 record in their second season (1996). It was a special year for the Panthers, who also earned their first playoff win and first trip to the NFC Championship game – which they lost 13-30 to the Packers.
The team went on a six-year playoff drought before winning their division again and going 3-1 in the playoffs – ultimately losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003 season). They earned two more playoff wins in 2005 (lost to Seattle in the NFC Championship game) after missing the playoffs in 2004.
Since 2006, the Panthers have made the playoffs in just five of 17 years. They had some success with Cam Newton between 2013 and 2017, making the playoffs in four of five years and earning three playoff wins – including a trip to Super Bowl 50. Unfortunately, they’re currently on a five-year playoff drought.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars – 8 playoff wins
Feb 21, 1994: Tom Coughlin named 1st head coach of Jacksonville @Jaguars. 128-68 in 8 seasons. Super Bowl appearance in 1996 (2nd season), pic.twitter.com/AReX44mGei
The Jacksonville Jaguars were founded in 1993 and joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995 – along with the Carolina Panthers (see above). And like the Panthers, they’ve had their fair share of ups and downs – accumulating a 189-261-0 all-time regular season record and 8-8 all-time playoff record.
The Jaguars went just 4-12-0 in their inaugural season, but made the playoffs in each of the next four seasons. During that span, they won their division twice and earned four playoffs wins (half of their franchise total to date) – including two trips to the AFC Championship game, both of which they lost.
They went on a five-year playoff drought between 2000 and 2004, but made the playoffs in 2005 and 2007 – where they earned a playoff win against the Steelers. Unfortunately, the Jaguars went on a nine-year playoff drought between 2008 and 2016 before turning things around with DougMarrone.
In his first full year as head coach, Marrone led the Jaguars to their second trip to the AFC Championship game with two playoff wins in 2017. They couldn’t sustain that success and went on a four-year playoff drought before earning a trip to the playoffs last year – they won in the Wild Card, but lost in the Divisonal.
3. Detroit Lions – 7 playoff wins
After the Bengals' win on Saturday, the longest active NFL playoff win drought belongs to … the Detroit Lions.
The Detroit Lions were founded in 1930 as the Portsmouth Spartans, but relocated and changed their named to the Detroit Lions starting with the 1934 season. Over the past 93 seasons, the Lions have accumulated a 579-702-34 regular season record and 7-13-0 playoff record – nothing to brag about.
Despite being in the league for more than 90 years, the Lions have just 18 playoff appearances, four Division championships, and four Conference Championships. They’ve never been to the Super Bowl, but won four NFL Championships in 1935 1952, 1953, and 1957 – those were the golden years for Detroit.
In fact, six of their seven playoff wins came in those championship years – they also won the Playoff Bowl three years in a row between 1960 and 1962, but those wins don’t count as playoff wins. Between 1962 and 1990, the team struggled to win consistently and only made three playoff appearances in 19 years.
They started to turn things around in the 1990s and made the playoffs six times over a nine-year span. Unfortunately, they only secured one playoff win during that span and only have only played three playoff games in the 23 years since – in 2011, 2014, and 2016 (thanks to the leadership of MatthewStafford.
2. Arizona Cardinals – 7 playoff wins
1/2/99 – With a dominating defensive performance (AZ led 20-0 in the 4Q and outgained Dallas 346-260), the Arizona Cardinals defeated the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys 20-7 in Dallas to win the NFC Wild Card Game, the franchise's first playoff victory since 1947. #RedSeapic.twitter.com/M1taBTQPoE
The Arizona Cardinals were founded in 1898 as an amateur team, played two seasons in the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before joining the NFL in 1922. The team underwent a series of location and name changes over the past 125 yeas, but settled on the Arizona Cardinals in 1994.
Despite their long and rish history, the Cardinals haven’t enjoyed a lot of playoff success over the past 100 years – playoff games didn’t exist until 1932. Their first playoff win came 15 years later in 1947 and it was a special one – defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 en route to their first NFL Championship.
After losing in the NFL Championship the following year, the Cardinals went on a 25-year playoff drought between 1949 and 1973. Despite making the playoffs in 1974, 1975, and again in 1982, the Caridnals didn’t earn their second playoff win until 1998 when they beat the Cowboys in the Wild Card Round.
A nine-year playoff drought ended in 2008 when the Cardinals won their first and only NFC Championship – they lost to the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. They ended up winning five of their seven playoff games between 2008 and 2015, but have only made one playoff appearance since – during the 2021 season.
1. Houston Texans – 4 playoff wins
The Houston Texans were founded in 1999 and joined the NFL as an expansion team in 2002. They get a pass for being on the bottom of this list because they’re the NFL’s newest franchise, but it’s still extremely disappointing to only have four playoff wins – after all, they’ve been in the league for 22 seasons now.
The team failed to make the playoffs in each of their first nine seasons and only had one winning season during that span. They started to turn things around in 2011 when they won their first AFC South title, made their first playoff appearance, and won their first playoff game before losing in the Divisional Round.
Between 2011 and 2019, the Texans won the AFC South six times and recorded four playoff wins, but couldn’t manage to make it out of the Divisional Round. A large reason for this success was the addition of J.J. Watt in 2011, but their lack of a franchise quarterback made it hard for them to win in the playoffs.
That franchise quarterback arrived in 2017 when the team drafted DeshaunWatson. He led them to two AFC South titles (2018, 2019) and one playoff win (2019), but his tenure with the team came to an end in 2021 when he requested a trade. They have been one of the worst teams since as they look to rebuild.
What’s Next for Patrick Mahomes?
Patrick Mahomes has already accomplished so much in his career, but he’s still only about a third of the way through his career and still has so much to give. The Chiefs are going to continue to put the right pieces around him and they’ll continue to be a contender every year – for as long as they have Mahomes.
As the reigning champs, Mahomes and the Chiefs are the team to beat entering the 2023 regular season and are expected to be on top of their game, as always. Mahomes hasn’t missed a game in two seasons and has only missed three games in his career. As long as he’s under center, defenses will crumble.
Mahomes is coming off a season that saw him lead the league in yards (5,250) and touchdowns (41), as well as set a new career-high in yards. I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts up another season with at least 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns. He’ll also have his team in a position to win back-to-back Super Bowls.
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