Jordan Love outplays Patrick Mahomes in every key passing metric, only second time it’s happened to Chiefs QB

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the current gold standard among NFL quarterbacks today. He is one of only five starting quarterbacks with two NFL MVPs and two NFL championships in their career. That exclusive club includes Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Tom Brady. 

Naturally, Mahomes doesn’t get outplayed often. Throughout his college football and NFL career, Mahomes had only been in a game where an opposing quarterback had more completions, more passing yards, more touchdown passes and fewer interceptions once entering Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season. It hasn’t happened against Tom Brady, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Russell Wilson, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert or Joe Burrow. 

That occurrence came in Week 4 this season in the Chiefs’ 23-20 “Sunday Night Football” escape of a victory at the New York Jets when quarterback Zach Wilson accomplished the feat. It happened to Mahomes for just the second time in his college or pro career once again on “Sunday Night Football.” This time, it was in Week 13 this past week when Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw for 267 passing yards and three touchdowns on 25-of-36 passing while Mahomes threw for 210 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception on 21-of-33 passing in the Packers’ 27-19 upset victory. The win was only Love’s 13th career start, which is the earliest into a starting quarterback’s career to beat Patrick Mahomes.

Incredibly enough, Love is either tied with or outperforming Mahomes in nearly a handful of passing metrics over the entirety of the 2023 season, his first as the Packers’ full-time starting quarterback following Aaron Rodgers‘ departure to the New York Jets via trade.

Love’s Week 13 performance against top competition didn’t just come out of nowhere either. He became the first player since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger with 250 or more passing yards, three or more passing touchdowns and no interceptions in consecutive games against teams that entered at least five games above .500. He threw for 268 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions at the Detroit Lions (now 9-3) last week on Thanksgiving in a 29-22 Green Bay win. The Packers are now on a three-game winning streak and have moved into the NFC playoff picture as the seventh and final seed through Week 13 with a 6-6 record. During Green Bay’s three-game win streak, Love has played like a top-five NFL quarterback in many critical metrics. 

* Ranks among 33 qualified quarterbacks in span  

Love and the Packers will remain in prime time in Week 14 when they travel to face the 4-8 New York Giants on “Monday Night Football.”