National Football League

Off the mountaintop? Why Patrick Mahomes no longer tops Nick Wright's QB tiers

Published Nov. 1, 2023 6:49 p.m. ET

Nick Wright is a big Patrick Mahomes fan, to the point that his quarterback tiers are nicknamed "Mahomes Mountain" in honor of the two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion who is usually at its peak.

Until this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs star does not occupy the peak spot usually reserved for him on the "First Things First" host's weekly quarterback tiers after Mahomes struggled in the Chiefs' 24-9 upset loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It marked first time in his seven-year NFL career that he has been defeated by the Broncos, whom the Chiefs face twice a year in the AFC West. Mahomes had a perfect 12-0 record against Denver in his career before Sunday.

But that streak was finally snapped when Mahomes went 24-for-38 for 241 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in Denver and was sacked three times. He also lost a fumble.

"Three turnovers, [The Chiefs] lose to the Denver Broncos for the first time since Patrick was in high school," Wright said. "Mahomes played so poorly and the team played so poorly, he can't keep his spot."

Nobody took Mahomes' place at the peak of "Mahomes Mountain," which Wright left vacant. Instead, Mahomes tied his rival, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, in the second tier.

"The best two quarterbacks in the league," Wright said. "Joe Burrow, finally healthy off the bye week, looked like it."

Burrow had struggled early in the season while dealing with a lingering calf injury that caused him to miss nearly all of training camp.

But the Bengals quarterback has performed much better over his past three games, with a 77.9 completion percentage and a passer rating of 111.8 over that stretch. That includes last week's performance when, against the vaunted San Francisco 49ers defense, Burrow went 28-for-32 for 283 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, playing his best game of the season and handing the 49ers their first loss at home in more than a calendar year.