Examining The Playoff History Of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff: QBs For The AFC & NFC Championships

The quarterback position has never seen more high-end talent than it has in 2024, but like most sports, the success of players is and will always be determined by postseason success. Singal-callers like Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott are viewed as good-to-great QBs, but the postseason failures have kept them from being clear elite studs.

As we head into Conference Championship Sunday, four quarterbacks remain with a path to Super Bowl LVIII. Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy, and Jared Goff have all played in at least four postseason contests, so the lights should not be too bright for any of them.

Let's dive into the playoff resumes of the final four quarterbacks in the 2023-24 NFL Playoffs. Stats will be represented by per-game averages below.

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Patrick Mahomes Playoff Resume

Playoff Record: 13-3
Playoff Stats: 66.8% completion, 285.1 pass yards, 2.4 pass TDs, 0.4 INTs, 106.7 passer rating (NFL Postseason Record), 27.7 rush yards, 0.3 rush TDs
Super Bowl Record: 2-1
Best Win: Super Bowl LVII vs. Philadelphia Eagles (2022 season)

Mahomes earned the starting quarterback job in Kansas City ahead of the 2018 season, and he has not failed to reach the AFC title game in any of his six seasons at the helm. The New England Patriots made eight straight trips to the AFC Championship game from 2011 to 2018, so the Chiefs are eerily close to catching up to that incredible feat.

The two-time MVP has the highest career passer rating in the playoffs and ranks sixth in passing yards per game. Everyone knows about Mahomes' early career success, and it'll be fun to see if he can catch up to Tom Brady's 35 playoff wins and seven rings.

Mahomes has defeated Andrew Luck, Deshaun Watson, Ryan Tannehill, Jimmy Garoppolo, Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, and Tua Tagovailoa in the postseason, and Lamar Jackson is next in his sights this weekend.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes are the best duo of all time! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/CaZdUsKgkR

— Brad Henson Productions (@BradHensonPro) January 23, 2024

Lamar Jackson Playoff Resume

Playoff Record: 2-3
Playoff Stats: 58.2% completion, 210.4 pass yards, 1.0 pass TDs, 1.0 INTs, 75.7 passer rating, 93.4 rush yards, 0.6 rush TDs
Super Bowl Record: 0-0
Best Win: AFC Divisional Round vs. Houston Texans (2023 season)

Jackson lost in the Wild Card Round as a rookie, but he only took over the starting job late in the season and was clearly an unpolished passer. In his 2019 MVP season, the 1-seed Ravens were shocked by the Tennessee Titans in a 28-12 Divisional Round loss. He bounced back the following year with a Wild Card win over the Titans in Nashville before losing to Buffalo in round two. Jackson suffered a concussion in the second half, but the Ravens looked outmatched before then.

The 2023 MVP front-runner ended the 2021 and 2022 seasons with injury misfortune, so it's been a long wait to get back to postseason action. He posted 252 total yards and four touchdowns to take down C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans last week, setting up a "prove-it" matchup with Patrick Mahomes. If he can take outduel the best player in the NFL on Sunday, the narratives about his lack of playoff success will be flushed down the toilet.

Lamar to Agholor! @Ravens take a 10-3 lead.

📺: #HOUvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/mOqD2jfu4M pic.twitter.com/LzW5RFrW24

— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2024

Brock Purdy Playoff Resume

Playoff Record: 3-1
Playoff Stats: 62.7% completion, 205.3 pass yards, 1.0 pass TDs, 0 INTs, 101.0 passer rating, 9.5 rush yards, 0.25 rush TDs
Super Bowl Record: 0-0
Best Win: NFC Divisional Round vs. Dallas Cowboys (2022 season)

Whether you believe Purdy has been a product of the Kyle Shanahan system or not, he's won 20 of his first 25 regular season and postseason starts. Mr. Irrelevent in the 2022 NFL Draft has won each of the three playoff games he started and finished. The shoulder injury in the NFC title game against the Philadelphia Eagles is well-documented, but he's beaten Geno Smith, Dak Prescott, and Jordan Love in his other three playoff contests.

Because of Shanahan's scheme and the 49ers' elite skill players, Purdy is going to be doubted until he wins a Super Bowl. That's just the fact of the matter. He has the chance to collect his first ring this season, and San Fran is the favorite to do so.

If Purdy sticks around the organization long-term, don't be surprised to see his playoff resume continue to grow rapidly.

PURDY. KITTLE. 49ERS TAKE THE LEAD.

📺: #GBvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/yDUx5ZutVa pic.twitter.com/JAsaS9bxFy

— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024

Jared Goff Playoff Resume

Playoff Record: 4-3 (won a game off the bench in 2020)
Playoff Stats: 61.8% completion, 233.0 pass yards, 0.86 pass TDs, 0.25 INTs, 88.3 passer rating, 4.3 rush yards, 0 rush TDs
Super Bowl Record: 0-1
Best Win: NFC Championship vs. New Orleans Saints (2018 season)

Goff led the 2018 Rams to the Super Bowl, but his offense only mustered three points in the loss to the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick got the best of Goff and head coach Sean McVay, which mightily damaged the reputation of the 2016 No. 1 overall pick. To be fair, Los Angeles missed the playoffs the following year and then was blown out by the Packers in the 2020 Divisional Round, but Goff became the scapegoat.

Now in Detroit, he delivered the franchise its first playoff wins since the 1991 season -- something Matthew Stafford failed to do. He defeated two former No. 1 overall picks (Stafford, Mayfield) to set up a matchup with a former last overall pick (Purdy) in what should be an excellent game.

Lamar Jackson desperately needs a win on Sunday to further his legacy, but Jared Goff could also do a ton for his if he leads the long-time laughing stock Lions to a Super Bowl bid.

Goff to Reynolds puts the @Lions ahead, 10-3!

📺: #TBvsDET on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/frRD38BNYS pic.twitter.com/JKCL0Y5GxL

— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024

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