SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes broke through as an NFL star based in part on his ability to launch deep balls and generate explosive plays for the Kansas City Chiefs with his big arm. Brock Purdy's early success as a pro quarterback came more from getting rid of the ball quickly and letting the playmakers on the San Francisco 49ers do most of the damage.
The two star quarterbacks have undergone a stylistic change headed into their Super Bowl rematch on Sunday between the Chiefs (5-0) and 49ers (3-3), with Mahomes relying more heavily on the short passes and quick game and Purdy the one who is throwing deep. According to NFL NextGen stats, Purdy's average throw this season has traveled twice as far beyond the line of scrimmage as Mahomes' and Purdy has the smallest share of his yards passing coming after the catch (32.8%) while Mahomes has the highest (66.
7%). Mahomes has his fewest yards passing per game (247) and TD passes (six) through five games. “I think everyone says down year just because their numbers aren’t just crazy, but Pat is as good as it gets,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
“He’s been as good as it gets since the first year that he got to play.” The Niners have had a front-row seat to it in two of Mahomes' three Super Bowl wins. He rallied Kansas City from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win it all following the 2019 season and then capped last season's Super Bowl by leading four straight scoring drives to end a 25-22 overtime.