Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or C.J. Stroud

Monday, February 10, 1:30 PM

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 21 of 32 pass attempts (66%) for 257 yards and three touchdowns in the 22-40 Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Mahomes missed out on achieving the first three-peat in NFL history and picked up his second Super Bowl loss in five appearances. The veteran quarterback ended with a solid statistical performance, but the box score does not tell the story of this game. Mahomes threw two interceptions in the first half of the game, one being returned for a pick-six. The Chiefs offense only had 23 total yards and one first down by the time the game reached halftime. The 29-year-old was also constantly under pressure from the Eagles front four. Mahomes was sacked six times, one leading to a lost fumble. The Chiefs scored their first points of the game with 34 seconds left in the third quarter. With two more garbage time touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Mahomes scored three times in the blowout loss. With the future of Travis Kelce uncertain following this huge loss, it remains to be seen what the Chiefs will look like next season. Despite the uncertainty, the Mahomes and the Chiefs have the talent and coaching staff to stay relevant for years.

Saturday, January 18, 7:36 PM

Quarterback C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans spent most of the Divisional Round under pressure, completing 19 of 28 passing attempts for 245 yards with neither a touchdown or a turnover in his team's season-ending defeat at Kansas City on Saturday. The Chiefs were able to get the best of Houston's offensive line, sacking the sophomore quarterback eight times and impacting a number of other throws as Houston managed only one touchdown. Though he limped off late in the game, Stroud did re-enter for the final drive. It was a largely disappointing year fantasy-wise for last season's Rookie of the Year, but he has now led Houston to a division title and a Wild Card victory in both of his first two seasons. Houston's offense goes into the offseason with needs on the offensive line and for a No. 2 receiver, as Tank Dell (knee) could be unavailable through 2025 and Stefon Diggs is a free agent.