The Patriots are 3.5-point favorites to beat the Chiefs on Sunday night, and that might be a little surprising, considering that the Chiefs are 5-0 and the Patriots are 3-2. But if that does surprise you, perhaps you don’t know just how commonplace it is for the Patriots to be favored with Tom Brady at quarterback.
Sunday’s game is the 56th consecutive game (counting playoffs) with Brady as quarterback that the Patriots have been favored, which is an all-time record, according to ESPN.
Brady’s record breaks that of Kurt Warner, whose Rams were favored in 55 consecutive games from 1999 to 2003. Before Warner the record belonged to Steve Young, whose 49ers were favored in 44 straight games from 1994 to 1996, and before that the record was held by Joe Montana, whose 49ers were favored in 37 consecutive games from 1989 to 1993.
When will the Patriots’ streak end? It could end as soon as next week, with the Patriots visiting Chicago. If the Bears blow out the Dolphins on Sunday the way they did the Buccaneers in their previous game, and if the Patriots lose to the Chiefs, it’s possible that the Bears could be favored over the Patriots, and that Brady’s streak could come to an end.