Patrick Mahomes is the best QB on the planet. By the end of his career, he might be the best QB ever. He has already won 3 Super Bowls, has won more games than anyone since he entered the league, and has proven he has a knack for making big plays when it matters most. On paper, as good as Jalen Hurts is, the Chiefs have a massive advantage when it comes to the QB matchup.
But while Mahomes is amazing, there are some areas where Jalen Hurts beats out even Patrick Mahomes. We saw what Jalen Hurts did the last time these two teams played in the Super Bowl. While Mahomes’ team came out on top, you could easily argue that Jalen Hurts was the better QB that day. With his team trailing late, Hurts led his team down the field to tie it up with a TD and an extra point, and the next time he touched the ball there was no time left to mount another comeback.
So in what area is Jalen Hurts better than Mahomes? Let’s find out
Here Are 3 Advantages Jalen Hurts has over Patrick Mahomes:
The Deep Ball
Most people would assume Mahomes throws the superior deep ball. But the facts just do not back up that statement. Of the 42 Qbs who have played at least 20% of their team’s dropbacks, Jalen Hurts is 4th with a passer rating of 110.4 on passes of 20 yards or more. Mahomes meanwhile is all the way down at 37th with a Passer Rating of 58.5.
Mahomes is down there with the likes of Caleb Williams, Anthony Richardson, Spencer Rattler, and Drew Lock. He completes just about 25% of the passes of that length and has only 4 TDs to go with 4 INTs. Compare that to Jalen Hurts, who has 8 TDs and only 2 INTs on 6 fewer deep attempts than Mahomes.
Some of that comes down to having better WRs. Hurts gets to throw to AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. But there is still a huge difference in efficiency in throwing the ball deep, and those types of deep throws are just something Hurts has excelled at going back to 2022 when Hurts threw 12 TDs on 71 deep attempts. Mahomes had 4 TDs on 70 attempts that year. There are now 3 years of data to suggest Hurts is the better deep-ball QB.
Broken Plays
Again, if you just asked someone to pick who is better when plays break down, they would likely pick Patrick Mahomes. But the facts disagree again.
When Mahomes is allowed to get rid of the ball in under 2.5 seconds, he is incredibly efficient. But it can get ugly when he has to hold it longer than that. If he has to hold the ball for over 2.5 seconds, his Pass Rating drops from 106.4 to 79.1. 7 of his 11 Interceptions have come on plays where he held the ball for over 2.5 seconds. He is usually very good at getting the ball out quickly, but if he can’t, he becomes a much less efficient player.
Hurts, meanwhile, thrives in those situations. He has the 5th best QB rating in the league (104.0) when he is asked to hold the ball that long. He has 13 TDs to only 3 Interceptions. Meanwhile, when he gets rid of it quickly, he has 8 TDs and 2 Ints, with a passer rating of 104.3. Whether it is getting rid of it quickly or holding it to make a play, Hurts is equally efficient. But when plays break down, Mahomes has had issues. That could have more to do with the talent around both QBs than it does with their individual play. But it is a trend that is hard to ignore.
Regardless of the reason, if you can take away Mahomes 1st option and make him hold onto the ball, the Chiefs become a far less efficient offense.
Running The Ball
Both of these QBs can beat you with their legs. Mahomes is not an easy QB to take down, and we saw in the AFC Championship game he gained multiple first downs with his legs. It was the same story back in SB57. You have to keep in mind his ability to run.
That said, Hurts is still much better on the ground. No one is close to Hurts when it comes to Rushing TDs over the last 3 seasons as a QB. He has 42, and the next best guy has 34. Mahomes has 6. Take the word QB out of it, and Hurts still has the most in the last 3 seasons, beating out Derrick Henry by 1. No one is as good at finding the End Zone as Jalen Hurts.
You might say the Tush Push plays a large part in that, and my counterargument is “So what?” Points are points. Those Tush Push TDs do not count for 5 points, they count for 6 like any other TD. And if it is not a skill, why can’t other QBs or teams pull it off? Why are the Eagles so far ahead of everyone else?
And it is also not only Tush Pushes. Hurts walked into the End Zone multiple times as well. In Super Bowl 57, his legs played a huge role in the Eagles tying it up late, including him scoring both the TD and the 2-point conversion. And he just had a run of 44 yards for a TD in the Rams game.
So yes, Mahomes is the better QB. He is the better QB than everyone. He has been there and done that. But there are things Hurts does better than Mahomes, and those things could be the difference in this game.