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Damien Woody Explains Why Patrick Mahomes is Like Tiger Woods in Sunday Red

ESPN analyst pays Chiefs quarterback the ultimate compliment.

Kyle Koster

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) stands on the sidelines against the Buffalo Bills during the first half in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) stands on the sidelines against the Buffalo Bills during the first half in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Patrick Mahomes did it once again on Sunday in the AFC championship game, battling for 60 minutes and coming out in top in a contest that could have gone either way. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback seems to always make the key play and remains unflappable under pressure. More than that, though, he has a presence we don't often see in team sports—carrying around an aura that almost always spells doom for the other team.

Damien Woody dove into that on Monday's Get Up, comparing Mahomes to another guy who used to dominate while wearing red.

"Patrick Mahomes is like Tiger Woods on Sunday wearing that red polo," Woody said. "He makes the right play at the right time and the other guys simply cannot make those plays."

This is about the highest praise an athlete can ever receive. And there's certainly something to the comparison.

Mahomes' cool confidence and track record is always painting the backdrop and looming large. There's an extra level of pressure put on the other side because they know Mahomes isn't going to make the big mistake—or really many mistakes at all. Entering a Sunday knowing that one needs to be flawless in order to compete, and then knowing full well that the Chiefs have an uncanny knack to win competitive ballgames, is not the best mental space.

The Philadelphia Eagles now have two weeks to deal with that before the Super Bowl.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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