Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will line up against quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16. The matchup has plenty of playoff implications as the Chiefs are the number one seed in the AFC with a record of 10-4.
The Steelers are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture in the AFC. With a record of 8-7-1, a win would keep them in the hunt, while a loss would be a major setback.
Mahomes has faced the Steelers just once as the starting quarterback for the Chiefs. He did not play when both teams faced off in Week 6 back in 2017. The Chiefs lost that game 19-13. However, Mahomes did start against Pittsburgh in Week 2 of the 2018 season at Heinz Field. He went 23 of 28 with 326 yards passing and registered six touchdown passes in a 42-37 win for the Chiefs.
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It was the first of two games in his career where he threw for six touchdowns in a single contest. The second such game was in the same year in Week 11, on the road against the Los Angeles Rams.
Not only did Mahomes toss six touchdown passes; he also threw for 448 yards in that game, the most passing yards he had in a match that year.
Mahomes and Hall of Fame Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson are the only two quarterbacks who have thrown for six touchdowns in a game. Dawson accomplished the feat back in Week 8 of the 1964 season against the Denver Broncos as the Chiefs emerged 49-39 winners.
Dawson made the Pro Bowl that year as he finished with 30 touchdown passes, the second-most in the league. Boston Patriots quarterback Babe Parilli led the season's standings with 31 touchdown passes.
Patrick Mahomes against rest of the AFC
Mahomes, a first-round pick of the Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft, has the most wins in the AFC (34) since becoming the starter in 2018. He has 107 touchdown passes in games against AFC teams, the most since 2018. His 8,280 passing yards are the third-most in that timeframe.
In his own division, the AFC West, Mahomes has a record of 19-3 with 48 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and 6,098 passing yards.
Mahomes' 23 wins at Arrowhead Stadium are the third-most wins for a quarterback at their home stadium since 2018. He trails Tom Brady (25 wins at Gillette Stadium and Raymond James Stadium) and Aaron Rodgers (23 at Lambeau Field). Mahomes is looking to help his team secure the number one seed in the playoffs and continue his dominance in the AFC.
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