No other rivalry has probably received as much attention over the offseason as the one between Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, in which the players’ teammates, fans, and themselves all seem to be actively participating.
In their final preseason game, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Arizona Cardinals to record their first victory of the year. Yet Cincinnati Bengals supporters have somehow managed to discover a way to try and reignite the animosity between Mahomes and Burrow.
NFL fans ridicule Patrick Mahomes’ surprise pass compared with Joe Burrow
By beating their opponents 38-10, the Chiefs improved upon their Week 1 preseason defeat. Pat participated for the whole opening round, completing 10 of 15 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. However, during the preseason game, the two-time MVP attempted a jump pass that was incomplete, leading many to throw criticism at him.
“WHAT THE FUCK PATRICK MAHOMES. LEAP PASS WHILE IN THE AIR OUT OF BOUNDS HITS THE RECEIVER SQAURE IN THE HANDS,” one account commented expressing his surprise over the pass.
WHAT THE FUCK PATRICK MAHOMES. LEAP PASS WHILE IN THE AIR OUT OF BOUNDS HITS THE RECEIVER SQAURE IN THE HANDS
😱😱😱
(🎥@RedditCFB) pic.twitter.com/u8SfBXChsj
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 20, 2023
The throw may have been incomplete but one fan still touted it as the “Best incomplete pass in the history of ever”
Furthermore, the Bengals supporters noticed a resemblance between the 27-year-olds’ incomplete pass and Joe’s pass against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. Burrow succeeded where the two-time Super Bowl champion fell short in imitating the Bengals’ starter.
Mahomes wants to be Joe Burrow so bad. https://t.co/OtpfTcuuTo pic.twitter.com/RD3LP2YMQO
— 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@BengalsCaptain) August 20, 2023
We can admit when something is stupid and just not a great play btw. If you want to see someone do this in a meaningful game where it’s actually a good pass, look at Burrow doing it in the 4th quarter Vs the Raiders in the 2022 playoffs https://t.co/QKgJxk81Lb
— DanielJonesBurner (@PilgrimDJB) August 20, 2023
The Chiefs player was incredibly athletic throughout the entire game, despite missing the opportunity.
Patrick Mahomes vs Joe Burrow: Exploring their heated rivalry
Since the Bengals and Chiefs are considered to be No. 1 and No. 2 in the AFC standings, their respective starting quarterbacks Burrow and Patrick seem to share a fierce rivalry both on and off the field. Many NFL pundits believe that the long-running rivalry between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning has already been topped by the one between JB and PM.
Brady and Peyton have faced off 17 times in head-to-head competition, with Tom holding an 11-6 advantage over Manning. In comparison, Burrow now holds a 3-1 career record against the Chiefs superstar after falling short in the 2023 AFC Championship.
In terms of a Super Bowl comparison, Manning has won two of them, while TB-12 is the only player to have won the trophy seven times. Although Burrow has never won a Super Bowl, Mahomes won his second Lombardi trophy in only four years.
However, the on-field and off-field rivalry between the stars of the Chiefs and Bengals before the regular season is hinting at a tremendous battle to come. Who do you think is better, Patrick or Joe? Share with us in the comments!