Why the Patrick Mahomes Influence in Playoffs Is Clear

On Saturday night, the San Francisco 49ers went up against a familiar opponent in the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round, hoping to pull off an upset win with a decimated the lineup. However, the injuries, which have piled up on both sides of the ball, proved to the 49ers' undoing, as the Seahawks flew circles around San Francisco in a 41-6 landslide victory.

The 49ers have been dealing with a slew of injuries all season, and that was amplified last weekend when George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a nightmarish matchup for San Francisco, as Seattle is a faster, younger, and more explosive team, coming off a bye and extra time to prepare for the beat-up 49ers.

Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) is sacked by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) during the second half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Quarterback Brock Purdy has arguably had his best season as a starter, considering the variables he has had to deal with throughout the season. However, the 26-year-old quarterback was swarmed constantly on Saturday night, running for 413 yards on 33 dropbacks just in attempting to evade Seattle's pass rush.

Tom Brady was in the commentator booth for this game, and he shared his thoughts on that development, comparing it to a personal experience.

Brady's Comments

Dec 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Fox broadcaster Tom Brady is seen prior to the game between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"That's almost like Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl I played against him," Brady said.

Being compared to the three-time Super Bowl MVP should be a good thing, but in this case, it is the complete opposite. Not saying that Purdy was terrible, but running for that many yards just to create an opportunity tells the whole story of how the game unfolded.

In Context

Feb 7, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is chased by Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett (58) in the second half during Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Mahomes and Brady faced off in Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida, which was in the Buccaneers stadium, providing a travel advantage for Brady and his new team. In addition, Mahomes would be without his two starting offensive tackles, leaving the superstar quarterback completely helpless on countless dropbacks.

Kansas City's inability and reluctance to lean on the run game played right into Tampa Bay's hands, as defensive coordinator Todd Bowles was able to draw up schemes with the front four and dropping seven in coverage. Deploying four pass rushers every play should not produce as much pressure as it did, but against the Chiefs' makeshift offensive line, that is exactly what happened.

Feb 7, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is sacked by Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Ndamukong Suh (93) during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

By a divine miracle, Mahomes was sacked only three times, but to avoid being taken down double-digit times behind the line of scrimmage, he ran a total of 497 yards.

Purdy experienced the same fate against Seattle, derailing the 49ers' chances of ever competing for a spot in the conference title game.

Keep up with the Kansas City Chiefs offseason when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW.