Mark your calendars for the 12th. It’s the day for one of the most anticipated showdowns of this season. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos. A lot is at stake here. For example, the Broncos are down 1-4 and they desperately need another win for fans to have some hope that their team will not be at the bottom of the league. For Wilson, it could be his chance to finally shut up haters forever.

Zach Wilson was dismissed as a lost cause before his match against the Chiefs, in which he raked in better numbers than star QB Mahomes. He had more completions, more passing yards, and fewer interceptions than Mahomes. Is it time for another Wilson’s comeback?

Patrick Mahomes’ and Russell Wilson’s AY/A is worth a look!

On social media and even some analysts don’t even consider Wilson to be of the same caliber as the 2x SB MVP. But the numbers tell a different tale. Agreed, they are the margin of difference is very low in most cases, but it still makes a good case for Wilson not being the dud that netizens make him out to be. In this season, he has 11 passing TDs as compared to Mahomes’ 10. Wilson has half the number of interceptions as Mahomes. His AY/A (Adjusted Yards Per Pass Attempt) is 8.2 yards, while Mahomes’ is 7.1.

Perhaps the most telling of all stats is the passer rating. It takes into consideration various other numbers such as a player’s passing attempts, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and interceptions, and can be a good indicator of player performance. Guess who has a higher passer rating this season? Broncos QB stands at 106.1, while Mahomes is at 96.0. So, does he stand a chance to win the Comeback Player of the Year award, if not MVP?

After outperforming Patrick Mahomes, Nathaniel Hackett backs Zach Wilson to break his ceiling

Will the Broncos’ fortune take a twist?

While there may be stronger contenders for the MVP title such as Tua Tagovailoa and Mahomes himself, it’s only Week 5 of the season. Most teams have just played 5 games, with 12 more to go. It isn’t wishful thinking to think that the Broncos’s fortunes may take a U-turn. Even in the blowout 70-20 match against the Dolphins, the #3 player did a stunning job. Maybe his team was just not up to the mark. Or there were miscues between him and his team.

Only October the 12th will tell who is the better QB when the two face off against each other at Arrowhead Stadium. Numbers can only go so far in telling us who is the better player on paper. But the real winner will be decided on the gridiron field. Will the Broncos be able to add a stumbling block to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl dreams?

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