Despite the limited weapons around him, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has led the team to a 10-3 record this season, which is good for first in the AFC East and second in the AFC overall. However, the drop in his numbers this season is notable, prompting critics to claim that the 42-year-old signal caller could call it a career after this season after a 20-year stint with the Patriots. For Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Brady still got a lot left in the tank and could still compete at a high level. In an interview after their 23-16 win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, Mahomes said he doesn’t think this would be Brady’s last season.
Earlier, it was reported that Brady could move on from the Patriots after this season.
“He’s still playing at a high level,” Mahomes said after the game, per a transcript provided by the Patriots official website, adding that he has the utmost respect for Brady and the way he plays the game. Mahomes lauded Brady for maintaining his consistency and his high-level of play in his 20 years in the NFL. Mahomes also praised Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for building the team to be on the top of the league every year. “It was a great game and I’m going to show him the respect he deserves,” said Mahomes, who completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
Brady, for his part, went 19 for 36 for 169 yards and a touchdown with an interception for the Patriots.
Bad calls costly for Patriots
In the rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game, Mahomes emerged victorious this time, thanks to two questionable calls by game officials that benefited the Chiefs and cost the Patriots two touchdowns.
The first bad call happened in the third quarter when Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce fumbled the ball that Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore and likely would have scored a touchdown. However, game officials ruled that Kelce was down before the ball came out. Belichick won the challenge, but it deprived them of a better field position or even a touchdown.
Early in the fourth, Patriots rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry dove for the pylon and looked like he scored a touchdown, but officials ruled him out of bounds at the 3-yard line. Replays showed that Harry stayed in bounds, but Belichick has no challenges left so the play stood as called. “At the end of the day when you got two touchdowns taken away from you, that's always a tough pill to swallow,” said safety Duron Harmon.
Brady allays worries about elbow
After the game, Brady faced the media with a heavily wrapped right elbow after he was sacked three times by the Chiefs. "I just got hit right on my elbow. It's fine," Brady told the press in Sunday’s post-game conference, per a transcript provided by the Patriots official website.
The veteran quarterback said he expects his name to be listed on the injury report next week, but he expects to suit up against the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday. Before their clash with the Chiefs, Brady appeared on the injury report with right elbow and toe issues.
