Two games, two NFL player of the week awards for Patrick Mahomes and Ryan Fitzpatrick
If we were picking an NFL MVP award after two weeks — we’re not really, so no need to freak out at the suggestion — you might have to split the award.
How could you decide between Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick? Both have been so good, they each won NFL player of the week for the second straight week. Mahomes won the AFC’s offensive player of the week, FItzpatrick won the same award in the NFC.
It’s unprecedented for two players to sweep those awards in each of the first two weeks of the season. According to Pro Football Reference’s player of the week history, which dates back to 1984, the only offensive player before this season to win player of the week awards in Weeks 1 and 2 was Tom Brady in 2011. Fitzpatrick and Mahomes are just the second and third players to do it.
Those two had already gone into the history books together. They’re the the second and third quarterbacks to ever throw four touchdowns in each of their team’s first two games, joining Drew Bledsoe from 1997.
Ryan Fitzpatrick’s start has probably changed Bucs’ plans
Mahomes and FItzpatrick are off to similar starts, but their tales are entirely different.
Fitzpatrick’s start is shocking. He was expected to fill in for Jameis Winston for three weeks while Winston was suspended, then turn the Bucs’ offense back over. Those plans have likely changed.
Fitzpatrick has had success before. Surprisingly, he had five NFL player of the week awards before this season. But he has never put together a full, great season, and that’s part of the reason he is on his seventh NFL team at 35 years old. But he has been amazing to start this season.
Fitzpatrick has had excellent success on the deep ball. His four 50-yard touchdowns through two weeks, tying Joe Namath (1972) for the most in NFL history through the first two weeks of a season, according to ESPN. Fitzpatrick also joins an exclusive list of players who have 400 yards and four touchdowns in back-to-back games: Dan Marino in 1984 and Billy Volek in 2004 are the only others, according to Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders.
This is a historic, amazing run. And it might not even be the best two-game start in the NFL this season.
Patrick Mahomes looks like a can’t-miss superstar
Mahomes’ ascension is more traditional. He was the 10th pick of last year’s draft, sat for almost a full season, then got his chance to start. Considering the great players around him, it’s not too surprising Mahomes had immediate success. But even the most optimistic Chiefs fan couldn’t have predicted this level of success.
According to Pro Football Reference, Mahomes is the first quarterback since at least 1950 with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions through the first two games of a season. Incredibly, both of those games came on the road against teams expected to be in playoff contention this season. Mahomes followed up a four-touchdown opener at the Los Angeles Chargers by throwing six scores at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mahomes has gone from an intriguing prospect to a player that seems like he’ll be in the MVP race … for the next decade or more.
Fitzpatrick and Mahomes will try to keep it going
It has only been two weeks. Fitzpatrick could end up slumping and ceding the job to Winston, and Mahomes might end up looking like a first-time starter at some point.
But so far, they’re both on a pace that is practically unheard of in NFL history. The toughest question is who has been better through two games?
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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