The NFL honors entertainment lore – it saved the best for last

Watch me analyze the entirety of contemporary football in just three words!

During the period Michael Jordan won basketball titles in six of eight seasons – his Chicago Bulls defeating strong teams that boasted John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone – another NBA player was asked to explain the situation. He shrugged and said, “Michael Jordan rules.”

Let’s explain the American football situation in just three words: Patrick Mahomes rules.

Reigns is classier if spelled out. Spoken, could be mistaken for a weather forecast.

Patrick Mahomes has led the Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl victories in three of the past five seasons. They’ve defeated strong teams – the Forty Niners twice, last year’s Eagles. To reach the trophy stage they’ve repeatedly bested the Buffalo Bills, who might dominate the NFL if they only could get past Mahomes.

Which they can’t. Because Patrick Mahomes rules.

Mahomes has won seven consecutive postseason contests, in that time throwing 13 touchdown passes against just one interception.

His playoff record is 15-3, meaning only one quarterback, Tom Brady, has more postseason victories.

And Mahomes is 28 years old! Between his youth and being on a strong, well-coached, well-managed club, Mahomes may have many playoff wins ahead.

Mahomes is the first major-sports athlete since Larry Bird to win three rings and two MVPs in his or her initial seven seasons.

Like an NBA star, Mahomes seems to want to get the regular season over with so money time can begin. The Chiefs were 11-6 in the regular season, 4-0 in the postseason. Like an NBA star, the word playoffs hits his ON button.

During the regular season Mahomes is okay of course, but hardly flawless. In the playoffs Mahomes becomes invincible. Key indicator: in the last three Chiefs-Bills meetings in the regular season, Buffalo won. In the last three Chiefs-Bills meetings in the playoffs, Kansas City won.

Mahomes numbers head north in the postseason. This year during the regular season, Mahomes’s passer rating was 92.6. During this postseason it rose to 103.3, even though the quality of opponents is higher in the playoffs.

Brock Purdy’s passer rating went down in the playoffs -- see below – exactly because the quality of opponents was higher. Mahomes’s went up!

Mahomes even runs better in the postseason. During the regular season he averaged 23 rushing yards per contest, mostly on unplanned scrambles during which he got out-of-bounds as fast as possible. (Which surely Andy Reid tells him to do.) In the Super Bowl, Mahomes gained 66 yards on the ground, thrice charging straight into the teeth of the defense on design runs.

Patrick Mahomes – he rules! Or, reigns.