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Thanks to move coach Andy Reid selecting to relaxation his starters in Week 17, the Kansas City Chiefs dodged a bullet on Sunday.
Whereas Chiefs beginning quarterback Patrick Mahomes stood on the sidelines in Kansas Metropolis, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson performed beautifully in Houston’s 41-38 loss to the Tennessee Titans, passing for 365 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
With that efficiency, Watson completed the season with 4,823 passing yards, thereby eclipsing Mahomes (who had 4,740 in his 15 video games) to turn into the NFL’s passing yards chief for 2020.
Due to Watson’s efficiency — and the Texans lacking the playoffs — one of many NFL’s oddest information will now stay protected for one more season: No quarterback who has led the league in passing yards has ever gained that season’s Super Bowl.
That is a kind of weird information that initially look, makes completely no sense. Why wouldn’t the quarterback who threw for extra yards than another in a season be one of many prime candidates to win a Tremendous Bowl? Particularly in a quarterback-centered, passing-dependent league just like the Twenty first-century NFL?
Look no additional than Watson and the Texans to search out a part of the reply. Regardless of Watson main the league in passing yards, the Texans completed the season 4-12 — and since they aren’t within the NFC East, that they had no probability to make the playoffs. The passing yards chief usually performs for an inferior workforce however has put up a variety of passing yards making an attempt to return again in video games the workforce ended up shedding anyway.
In spite of everything… it takes greater than a fantastic quarterback to provide you with a fourth-quarter comeback. It additionally requires a protection to maintain the opposite workforce from scoring extra factors whereas your quarterback is executing performs for that Sunday’s spotlight reel.
However being the passing yards chief doesn’t essentially imply you play for a foul workforce. Generally these high-volume quarterbacks play for good groups that make the playoffs — and generally even the Tremendous Bowl. Twice — in 2017 and 2007 — Tom Brady led the league in passing yards, however the New England Patriots misplaced within the championship recreation. Peyton Manning performed in (and misplaced) the Tremendous Bowl after the 2013 season, by which he led the league. It occurred to Dan Marino, Kurt Warner and Wealthy Gannon in 1984, 2001 and 2002.
Drew Brees has gained the passing yards title seven instances — however not in 2009, when the Saints made it to (and gained) Tremendous Bowl XLIV.
So a part of it’s pure probability, too; there’s nothing about being the passing yards chief that intrinsically says your workforce can’t attain (or win) a Tremendous Bowl.
And but… in 54 55 years, it’s by no means occurred.
The excellent news is that Mahomes gained’t have that individual monkey using on his again when he and his teammates return to motion within the Divisional spherical; nobody will have the ability to say that Mahomes gained’t win the Tremendous Bowl as a result of he led the league in passing.
However sometime, Mahomes most likely will lead the league — and win the Tremendous Bowl, too.
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