Carson Palmer is Wrong About Joe Burrow Being Better than Patrick Mahomes, But the Argument is Good for Football

We need to talk about Carson Palmer putting Joe Burrow above Patrick Mahomes.

Look, this is what happens. There’s room at the top of the mountain for one player. Anyone that wants to be at the top of the mountain is going to have to challenge that player. Anyone that wants someone else to be at the top of the mountain is going to have to challenge that player. 

Sometimes that challenge is a grift. Sometimes it’s genuine. 

I’m going to give the usually quiet Carson Palmer and his $172 million in career earnings the benefit of the doubt that he has no reason to start grifting.

I mean, he was on his brother Jordan’s podcast, and Jordan has trained Joe Burrow in the past, but we’ll let that slide.

So assuming Carson Palmer earnestly challenged the legitimacy of Patrick Mahomes as the NFL’s top dog, let’s address what he said on its merits. 

This is Carson Palmer talking about Joe Burrow:

“I think Joe is the best quarterback in the league. I know Patrick [Mahomes] is phenomenal, but I just think Joe’s more consistent. He’s more consistent. He’s more accountable to run the system and the play that’s called and not feel like, “Well, he didn’t win last time and get open for me, so I’m gonna do it with my feet,” and then before you know it, you’re sacked for a four-yard loss because you tried to make two or three guys miss. Joe is just… talk about not having a weakness. Mentally strong, physically tough, accurate, can throw it far enough, fast enough, gets the ball out quick, and then he can actually do a lot with his legs.“

So Carson Palmer’s point is that Joe Burrow doesn’t do what Patrick Mahomes does because Cincinnati’s system doesn’t call for it? What, Patrick Mahomes just stumbled his way to being the only QB in NFL history to average over 300 yards passing per game, and the only QB to ever average over 8 yards per Adjusted Net Completion because of a lack of accountability to the offense?

Are we saying that Patrick Mahomes’ weakness is that he’s a better freelancer than all-time great football mind Andy Reid is as a playcaller?

And what are we talking about as far as consistency? Or taking off running too much? Patrick Mahomes has averaged about one rush for every ten dropbacks for the entirety of his career. The only difference between last year, and his first full year as a starter is that he’s much better picking up yardage when he does decide to pull it and run. 

If Patrick Mahomes was a liability in the pocket how is it that he’s 6th all-time in sack percentage? 120 spots ahead of Joe Burrow. 

Joe Burrow literally led the NFL in sacks taken in 2021. He “improved” to sixth most this year. Patrick Mahomes wasn’t even in the top 20.

Look, I don’t want to disparage Joe Burrow at all. He’s everything Carson Palmer said he was, outside of one thing- better than Mahomes. But these are the type of battle scars you accrue when someone holds you up as the best and there just aren’t any metrics out there that agree.

At the same time, I love this. It was great for football when Peyton Manning was Tom Brady’s perpetual challenger for QB supremacy, but at least in that case there were a dozen metrics you could have made that case upon. 

I hope this is an argument we get to have for the next decade- but the next time we have it, there better be some merit to it. 

Let that sink in.

As Predicted: Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning Win Entertaining “The Match: Champions for Charity”

Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning Will Win The Match: Champions for Charity

The Match: Champions for Charity made for a fun and engaging live sporting event. There was good golf, friendly trash talk, and money raised to help with COVID-19 relief efforts. Six million fans tuned in, as The Match: Champions for Charity was the highest-rated cable golf event in history. As I predicted, Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning bested Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady, winning by a score of 1 up.

The Match: Champions for Charity Had a Familiar Game Flow

The date was January 24, 2016. The Denver Broncos were holding on to dear life as the New England Patriots were in their territory on the final three possessions of the game. Every time the Patriots got into Broncos territory the score was 20-12. However, the Patriots only scored a touchdown on their third try inside of Broncos territory. And even so, Brady was intercepted by Bradley Roby on the two-point try. The Broncos won 20-18.

During The Match: Champions for Charity, it once again seemed inevitable that Brady and Mickelson would tie the match. The Woods-Manning lead dwindled to only 1 up after the 14th hole.

However, Woods and Manning were able to stay the course and hold on for the victory similar to how the Broncos held onto victory on that fateful January Sunday. Even when the sport changes, sometimes the competition has a similar game flow based on who is participating.

Despite Losing, Tom Brady Had Shot of The Match: Champions for Charity

Tom Brady had the shot of the match on the 7th hole. He was able to chip in a put for birdie while trash-talking Charles Barkley in the process. Brady did not have the best start in The Match, but was able to get into a groove after hitting this shot. Some thought he may have struggled at first because of Peyton Manning’s caddie comment. The mention of Eli Manning and Nick Foles, the only two quarterbacks to beat Tom Brady in a Super Bowl, may have flustered Brady’s game a little bit.

Also, Brady stated that he had already played a whole round of golf before The Match: Champions for Charity. This could have affected his start, as the other three were more fresh at the start of The Match 2.

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Phil Mickelson Coached Tom Brady Through Rough Start

Mickelson coached Brady through his early struggles, and the duo was able to not let the game get completely out of reach. He also had some notable drives during the round. His best shot of the round was his drive on the 8th hole when he hit the golf ball within feet of the hole.

Mickelson did a great job of helping Brady improve as the match went on. He was not afraid to share some of his knowledge about the game of golf. He coached Brady in a sense. It was cool to see the teamwork displayed between both teams in this match.

Peyton Manning Had Good Drives, Wins Despite Weather

One thing that many have criticized Peyton Manning for throughout his football career was how he performed when the conditions were not great. However, Manning was able to show up despite rain falling through many portions of the round in The Match: Champions for Charity. Manning won two points in the front nine to help him and Woods take a 3 up lead into the back nine. He also was able to hit good drives on holes where Woods did not have his best stuff.

Tiger Woods Was Clutch Down the Stretch

Tiger Woods played a great round of golf. He was able to hit timely shots down the stretch and show off his clutch gene. He got revenge for his previous loss to Mickelson in the previous Match in November 2018. Home-field advantage helps many teams in team sports, and it helped Woods in this instance. Mickelson did not have as great of an idea of how his shots were because he had not played as often at The Medalist Golf Course.

This Golf Match Could Help Woods and Mickelson In Eventual Return to PGA Tour

Both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson could be golfing competitively again as early as next month. There are still three majors scheduled to be played this year. Having competition against another golfer may have been great preparation once Woods and Mickelson are competing against other golfers. Both their games looked somewhat sharp on Sunday, which could translate into great seasons for them. While Tom Brady will get back to his day job and Peyton Manning will get back to enjoying retirement, there are potential prizes that could be attainable for both Woods and Mickelson in the game of golf. It will just be a matter of training well and putting in four rounds of good golf. I believe both of them can still do just that at this point in their respective careers.

Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning Will Win The Match: Champions for Charity

Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning Will Win The Match: Champions for Charity

The Match: Champions for Charity will give sports fans everywhere a chance to watch some of their favorite athletes compete for $10 million in COVID-19 relief.

Sports fans will be able to watch a competitive golf match on Sunday. Two of these competitors are synonymous with the golf world: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The other two, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, are known for their rivalry on the gridiron. The hope for fans is that these two rivalries that defined their respective sports can lead to an entertaining and highly competitive golf match.

Woods and Mickelson had their first one-on-one competition in November, which Mickelson won in a playoff. However, this competition will obviously have a different setup. Mickelson and Brady will team up against Woods and Manning.

Brady and Manning Competing Indirectly Against Each Other Once Again

Brady and Manning had their battles on the gridiron but were never directly competing against each other necessarily. Even if it was lip service, Peyton Manning has always said it was the Colts or Broncos against the Patriots. The games would play out as the team against the team.

Peyton Manning’s teams were able to win three AFC Championships against Brady’s teams. However, Brady’s teams have a better overall record against Manning’s teams. During an interview previewing The Match: Champions for Charity, Peyton Manning did point out how he and Tiger Woods have combined for 17 championships, compared to the 11 combined between Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson.

A Clutch Moment Or Two May Decide The Match: Champions for Charity

These athletes also have all had their clutch moments within their sports. There are many that have stood out to me. For Phil Mickelson, it was his Sunday at Muirfield in 2013 to win his first Claret Jug. Tiger Woods’ Masters’ win last year was the climax of one of the most unlikely comeback stories you might see. For Tom Brady, it was many of his crazy playoff wins. Super Bowl 51 will stand out as a game where he made timely throws to keep his team in the game. Peyton Manning and the Colts’ comeback in the 2006 AFC Championship against Brady’s Patriots will always stand out to me as the defining moment of his career.

This golf match will be decided by a clutch moment. Fans know that every person participating has the ability to upstage their opponent. It will just be a matter of who rises to the occasion.

Manning and Brady’s Battles On The Gridiron Have Always Been Team Battles Decided By Teammates

Manning and Brady have had their battles through the years, but the games between them were always team games. In 2009, when the Patriots were seemingly a lock to hand the Colts their first loss of the season, Bill Belichick decided to go for it on 4th-and-2. When Brady and the Patriots came back from down 24-0 to beat the Broncos, it was the miscommunication between Denver’s Tony Carter and Wes Welker’s that came to define that game. That is why my prediction is that the actions of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will define this match.

Expect Woods and Mickelson To Determine Strategy In The Match: Champions for Charity

The focus of The Match: Champions for Charity is about two rivalries combining to bring a super-rivalry golf match. However, Woods and Mickelson will not beat the other individual. Brady and Manning will not beat each other as individuals also.

For the first nine holes of the match, the better score for each team will be recorded. Therefore, if Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have better rounds than Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, their scores will get recorded for their whole team. For the second half of the match, teammates will alternate shots, which means that strategy will be key. It may be fair to assume that Woods and Mickelson will take the lead on the strategy end of things.

Prediction For The Match: Champions for Charity

The team of Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning will win The Match: Champions for Charity because it is at The Medalist, which is Tiger Woods’ home golf course. Mickelson and Brady will keep this competitive to the point it may require a playoff, but Woods knows his course better than anyone. Regardless of who wins, however, sports fans will be entertained on Sunday.