Matchup 1: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Matchup Date: December 21st, Noon CST, NBC
2023 Stats: 4183 Yards, 27 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 67.2 completion percentage
What better way to start a list than to begin with the current king of the NFL? Patrick Mahomes is the pinnacle of quarterback play in the NFL today and probably an unfair measuring stick to measure CJ Stroud against right now. But like the previous era of quarterbacks was weighed against Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, this era will be weighed against Mahomes and his greatness. The 2-time regular season MVP and 3-time Super Bowl champion and MVP is going to get the absolute best shot out of CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans.
When the 2023 season began, it was widely believed the Texans would be a bottom-tier team and that CJ Stroud wasn't going to be worth the 2nd overall pick and he proved that wrong in route to the Offensive Rookie of the Year, AFC South division championship and a playoff berth.
When it comes to the weight of facing the giant that is Patrick Mahomes, it won't just take the defense's best effort but also the offense. The Texans have been mostly competitive against the Chiefs after that playoff meltdown in the 2019 playoffs. The hardest part of this heavyweight battle will be the schedule, as the Texans will be in the middle game of a 3-game stretch in 10 days. The need to be locked and loaded will be more paramount than ever. We want to see Stroud climb the hill, and the best measuring stick will be to see how he rises to the occasion against the best quarterback in football right now.