Keeping the faith
Chiefs fans believe their ‘Ma-homey’ will finally end their playoff suffering
KANSAS CITY — Patrick Mahomes admits that his dad, the former big league pitcher by the same name, has told him he has a “photographic memory.”
He also says he doesn’t really know what that means.
“I just know that if I see stuff I can usually go back and tell you exactly what I see,” the Kansas City Chiefs sensational young quarterback explained Tuesday at 1 Arrowhead Dr., site of the team’s practice facility. “I know in school I could study pretty fast, and then I was still able to do well on all my tests.”
Along with his natural physical talents, it may also help explain why Mahomes was able to smoothly pick apart defences as a rookie. How he was able to become just the second QB in NFL history to throw 50 touchdown passes and over 5,000 passing yards in the same season. How, at the age of 23 and with just 17 starts under his belt, he is odds on favourite to be named the league’s MVP.
As adept as he must be at studying game film, Mahomes has no use for history lessons. At least not when it comes to how the Chiefs have been schooled in the playoffs over his lifetime. Since dumping the Houston Oilers (yes, that’s how long we’re talking) in the divisional round two years before he was born, they are 1-11 in post-season play. In the last six years, counting this one, they have a 65-31 regular-season record but only win playoff victory.
That history gets worse when bringing in both their home record and the Indianapolis Colts, who visit the Chiefs on Saturday afternoon for the right to advance to the AFC Championship game. Kansas City has lost its past six playoff games at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Colts have as many post-season victories (two) as the Chiefs.
Against the Colts in alltime tournament play, the Chiefs are 0-4.
“That’s in the past,” shrugged Mahomes. “That’s something where all of us feel like we are here now, and focused on the present day. We feel like we have a different team, and that we can come out there and try to win a big football game.”
There’s strong belief in these parts that it’s about to happen. There is much faith in “Ma-homey”, the nickname fans have given their beloved new signal caller.
It matters not to them that Mahomes has never had the ball in an elimination game, never really played in inclement weather. By Saturday, temperatures are supposed to drop near the freezing point, with chance of rain and/or snow. Mahomes is expected to take it all in stride. The city that has had its heart broken so many times is trusting it to a kid who has trouble pinpointing the last time he played a “big game”.
Asked if he realizes what this game means to Kansas City, Mahomes said he was just excited to get going.
“Yeah, I mean every playoff game is big,” he said without yet knowing the feeling of his first. “When you grow up you want to go and play games like this. When you get older you want to be a professional athlete and you wan too win on the bigger stage. For me, it’s all about going out there and being myself, lean on my teammates.”
Being himself means throwing across his body, or with his left hand, or making a “no-look” pass. It means having confidence uncommon with someone of his limited experience. It means being the most “charismatic” quarterback coach Andy Reid says he’s ever worked with.
“You have to love the game,” Mahomes said. “We are so fortunate we’re able to be in this position. We are fortunate that we’re able to play as port we love for a living. You just go out there and have fun. You want to be even-keeled, you want to make sure you’re never too high or too low, but at the same time you have to love this game love everything about it.”
Mahomes watched the Colts destroy gifted QB Deshawn Watson and the Houston Texans 21-7 in last week’s wild-card game. He knows they will arrive in town having won 10 of their last 11 games and being reminded of their playoff success against the Chiefs.
“They came out and put the pressure on and then kind of held it the rest of the game,” Mahomes said of the Colts performance at hostile NRG Stadium. “We have to make sure we match the intensity right out of the gate, if not try to take it to another level. They’ve won a lot of their last games. They have a lot of confidence coming in. But we do as well and we’re going to try to get that momentum in our favour early.”
A lot of that will fall in Mahomes. He can’t be Alex Smith, the former Chiefs quarterback who would win all season but then fail to get the job done at the most important time of year. He’s got to be the same guy he was throughout the 2018 campaign — an MVP performer.
“I think I’ve grown a lot this season,” Mahomes said. “I’ve seen a lot more coverages and blitzes and everything than I’ve ever seen getting to this point. Every experience I’ve learned from has helped us to continue to execute this offence at a high level this entire season.”
Chiefs fans with very painful playoff memories are counting on it continuing.