I've seen people online try to make the argument that they didn't actually ever hate the Patriots, that the Chiefs are way more nauseating than the Patriots ever were, that we didn't know how good we had it. I've seen counterarguments saying those people are lying – you hated them just as much – if not more than – you hate the Chiefs today. I'm here to say that – as usual – both sides are wrong.
First of all, everyone did hate the Patriots. Everyone thought they cheated, everyone thought they got bailed out, everyone didn't like Tom Brady. Second, everyone hates the Chiefs now. Everyone thinks they get all the calls, everyone thinks Taylor Swift is annoying. Both of these logic structures are wrong, and quite frankly, they expose everyone for their lack of ball knowledge. Here is the case: the Patriots were awesome to watch, and the Chiefs are so frustrating because they could be so much more awesome to watch. Come with me, I'll explain.
People hated the Patriots because they got lots of calls and because they would always win. But I grew up a diehard Jets fan, and after a certain amount of time, I couldn't help but love watching the team play. We were witnessing true greatness – a surgical passer, less than supremely athletic receivers, a mastermind head coach – all working in harmony. When I tuned in to a Patriots game, it felt like I was watching poetry in motion, like watching a doctor perform a procedure. Every game plan unique from the next. Tom could dance, bob and weave around the pocket like he was using a compass. He'd go full games untouched without passing the line of scrimmage – pocket awareness close to Godliness. He'd put the ball exactly where it needed to be exactly when it needed to be there. Every now and again I'll hop on Twitter and watch a random drive from a random week in a random 2000s/2010s season, and just watch Tom Brady carve up an AFC South defense with 6 minutes to go in the second quarter using only plays out of Ask Madden. In the postseason, it only elevated. The Patriots-Chargers game from around 2017 in the divisional round — it was over from the first 3 minutes of the game. Tom Brady and the Patriots were playing chess while everyone else was getting the checkerboard out of the box. And he handed Patrick Mahomes the two greatest blows of his career.
To make the argument that the refs or luck played a role in 22 years of perpetual dominance in the career of Tom Brady lacks perhaps the most ball knowledge possible – it didn't matter the cast of characters, weather, or if he played in New England or Tampa Bay – Tom Brady was simply a winner. I am extremely grateful that, despite my Jets fandom, I was always able to appreciate the greatness I was witnessing, because we'll never see a surgeon like Tom again.
And that brings me to my next point – the Patrick Mahomes Chiefs bother us because we want to witness greatness – we may not admit it, or even know it, but deep down we want to watch inhumane things happen. And Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are the closest thing we have to that in sports right now. The reason it's frustrating to people like myself is that we know they can be so much better, so much more entertaining. In 2018, Patrick Mahomes ran around like a toddler who just stole a cookie and would launch bazooka missiles sidearm (and on the run) 50 yards downfield with pinpoint accuracy. It was awesome. Now? That happens once every five weeks. The Chiefs have been insufferable to watch this year – they didn't score 30 points until last week – week 20 of the NFL season. We know they're capable of the deep shots, exciting trick plays. This year the extent of their offense has been Mahomes throwing maximum 20 yard passes to wide open receivers, or a few run plays followed by a Mahomes sack. Their defense is lockdown for the whole game, which ends with Mahomes and the offense having 2 minutes to drive downfield and score 3 to 7 points – which they'll do every single time. And it's frustrating because you're so tired of watching 58 minutes of garbage football that by the time they do have this herculean comeback, you don't even care anymore. You'd rather watch the Falcons and Panthers go blow for blow in a shootout between two young quarterbacks who are still trying to make it in this league. You lose interest in the Mahomes-Kelce duo who phone it in for 58 minutes and turn it on for 3 – we only get but so many of these games a year, can we not have all gas no brakes the entire time?