Stats Perform´s NFL Friday Facts: Mahomes and Newton go head to head

Super Bowl winners the Kansas City Chiefs take on a team with significant championship pedigree in the New England Patriots on Sunday. 

Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to an impressive victory over reigning MVP Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens last time out, extending their winning streak to a franchise record 12 games across the regular season and playoffs. 

In Week 4 they face Bill Belichick’s Patriots, giving Mahomes a chance to pit his wits against another MVP-winning quarterback in Cam Newton. 

Using Stats Perform data, we break down that matchup and some of the other enticing games coming up.

FEATURE GAME

Patriots at Chiefs – Sunday, 4.25pm (all times Eastern)

– In three career games versus New England, including postseason, Mahomes has only one first-half touchdown pass against three interceptions. In the second half of those three games, Mahomes has seven TD passes, no interceptions and a 64.7 completion percentage.

– After Newton piled up 122 rushing yards and 552 passing yards in Weeks 1 and 2, New England running backs took over against the Las Vegas Raiders last week, piling up 287 scrimmage yards – the most for Patriots tailbacks in a game in seven years. The Patriots lead the NFL with 178.0 rushing yards per game, the team’s highest mark through three games of a season since 1983 (225.7). They have led the NFL (or AFL) in rushing yards only once in their history – in 1978.

– Andy Reid is set to coach his 340th career regular-season game, breaking a tie with Jeff Fisher for eighth all-time. His 210 wins rank sixth all-time, three spots behind Belichick’s 275 victories.

Honed in on the Patriots pic.twitter.com/NBovQfCxWv

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 1, 2020

OTHER KEY GAMES

Colts at Bears – Sunday, 1pm

– The Chicago Bears are the first team in NFL history to win two games in a single season where they were trailing by at least 16 points in the fourth quarter (Week 1 at the Detroit Lions, Week 3 at the Atlanta Falcons). This season, teams that trail by at least 16 points at any point in the fourth are 2-18 – the Bears are 2-0 and everyone else is 0-18.

Vikings at Texans – Sunday, 1pm

– Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions in the Minnesota Vikings’ loss last week giving him an NFL-high six on the year (tied with Carson Wentz) and matching his total from 2019. Cousins has completed 59.0 percent of his pass attempts this season, a figure that ranks 31st among 33 qualifiers (minimum 14.0 pass attempts per team game).

Ravens at Washington – Sunday, 1pm

– Baltimore have scored at least a point in their last 95 halves of regular-season football. The longest such streak in NFL history is 96 by the New Orleans Saints from 2015 to 2018. The Ravens have scored 54 first-half points this season, third most in the NFL, and Washington has allowed 54 first-half points this season, tied for fourth most in the league.

Not discouraged. pic.twitter.com/KfPlbZXGUO

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 1, 2020

Bills at Raiders – Sunday, 4.25pm

– Buffalo Bills running backs have not scored a rushing touchdown since Week 9 of last season, a span of 234 carries, by far the longest active streak in the NFL (the Bears are second with 70). Meanwhile, the Raiders have allowed two rushing touchdowns in each of their games this season – only the Carolina Panthers (7) have allowed more rushing scores this season

Eagles at 49ers – Sunday, 8.20pm

– For the first time since 1999, the Philadelphia Eagles have yet to win a contest three games into a season after tying with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. Only two teams (out of 251) that have gone winless through the first four games of the season went on the make the playoffs – the 1992 Chargers and the 1963 Bills.

ELSEWHERE…

Chargers at Buccaneers – Sunday, 1pm

– The gaps in age (20 years, 219 days) and in career starts (284) between Tom Brady and Justin Herbert would be the largest of all-time between opposing starting quarterbacks.

Falcons at Packers – Monday, 8.15pm

– After blowing a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys, the Falcons squandered a 16-point lead in the final period in their Week 3 loss to the Bears. Since 1925, teams with at least a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter have won 98.2 percent of the time, and Atlanta are the only team two lose two such games consecutively.