Aidan O'Connell outperformed Patrick Mahomes
Winning is truly the only statistic that matters, but by almost every other metric, O'Connell had a better night than Mahomes did, and it was against a better defense.
Take a look at these numbers:
Aidan O'Connell | Patrick Mahomes | |
|---|---|---|
Completion % | 65.7 | 56.5 |
Passing Yards | 340 | 306 |
Touchdowns | 2 | 1 |
Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
Sacks Taken | 3 (for 22 yards) | 5 (for 40 yards) |
QB Rating | 116.4 | 84.1 |
When watching the game, it felt like O'Connell was playing better than Mahomes, and the numbers validate this.
Obviously, the turnover at the end of the game was not entirely O'Connell's fault, but that one play did dramatically affect the outcome of the game.
All season, the Chiefs have had an elite defense, whereas the Raiders have been a bit up-and-down. This makes O'Connell's performance even more impressive, while it makes Mahomes' even worse.
O'Connell is still not likely to be the answer as a franchise quarterback, but he is proving his worth as a high-level backup in this league.