When you think about quality competition, you think of someone who can get the best out of you and make you step up your game to a whole other level. When it comes to Maxx Crosby and Patrick Mahomes, it is clear that the two of them do that for one another.
The two AFC West foes square off against one another twice a year, and every time they’re set to do battle, it is must-see television. However, is it friendly competition between two ultra-competitive people, or is it something more than that?
The Maxx Crosby and Patrick Mahomes Beef
While everybody wants it to be deeply personal, both Crosby and Mahomes are on record as saying that there is mutual respect between one another. However, despite that respect, it doesn’t mean either side isn’t looking to dominate the other one every time they step out on the field.
When Crosby was asked about the relationship between him and Mahomes, Crosby chuckled before saying “It’s great. Quarterbacks, you know every year they ask who are the guys you don’t like to play against? Like, I want every quarterback to say me.”
Mahomes has been asked ahead of their contests before and Mahomes knows the challenge Crosby presents on Sunday. “I mean, he’s at the top of the list. I mean, he’s a dog, man.”
Crosby knows what he needs to do and is unshy of sharing that plan with Mahomes and the rest of the world. “I’ll hunt his a** down every time I go out there, but he knows that, and he respects it, and it goes both ways.”
Even if the Las Vegas Raiders aren’t always in the Kansas City Chiefs’ weight class when it comes to head-to-head team matchups, Crosby hunting Mahomes is always something to watch for.
Crosby vs. Mahomes on Christmas Day
Week 16 on Christmas Day gives us another chance to see this great rivalry between two players at the top of their position. The 9-5 Chiefs will host the 6-8 Las Vegas Raiders in a classic AFC West matchup between two teams that do not like each other very much.
While the results have not been perfect for the Raiders since his arrival, with Antonio Pierce as the interim head coach, the team’s attitude has shifted as a result, and no one believes they will come into Arrowhead Stadium afraid of a good Chiefs team.
MORE: AFC West Playoff Scenarios and Standings
As for the Chiefs, despite their nine wins thus far this season, they have not looked great at times this year, and with only three games left to sort it out before the playoffs, there is no time like the present to work out any kinks you may have as a group.
Christmas Day’s NFL matchup promises to be a good one for fans, and it is probably a safe bet that, in front of a national audience on a big holiday, we are going to see another classic iteration of the Crosby/Mahomes rivalry.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!