Secret’s out on Chiefs’ Mahomes
If you’ve watched any of Patrick Mahomes’ NFL-record 10 touchdown passes through the first two weeks of the season – the side-arm bullet to Tyreek Hill, one of the sideline dimes to an array of passcatchers, the no-look flip to De’Anthony Thomas, or one of the thread-the-needle throws through tight coverage and in to Travis Kelce, any of them – and thought, “This kid’s just not normal,” then you’re absolutely right.
If you’ve gawked at the second-year pro’s replays and statistics and asked yourself, “In real life?” The answer is yes.
These heroics – which have transformed the Kansas City offense into this generation’s greatest show on turf – are equal-parts freakish and authentic. Equally mind-bending and perfectly understandable. That is Patrick Mahomes. At first blush, it’s hard to grasp Mahomes’ ability to digest and execute a very complex Andy Reid offense while manipulating exotic NFL defenses. Equally mind-blowing: Mahomes’ freakish athletic traits which include his size (6-2, 225), speed (4.8-second 40-yard dash) and strength (he can stand on the 25 yard-line and rifle the ball out the back of the far end zone, and he can absorb a hit and still deliver an accurate throw, or shrug off a defender and scramble for yardage).
But then when you consider his athletic pedigree, mental makeup, tutelage and work ethic, it all makes sense.
Mahomes is that good. He’s this good for the Chiefs, and Reid and the organization with its extensive cache of dynamic skill players are that good for the young quarterback.
No wonder the Chiefs traded established veteran Alex Smith this offseason and turned the keys over to the kid.
No wonder no one close to Mahomes or the Chiefs are surprised by the blistering pace that he has orchestrated. But they are certainly impressed.
“He had a couple good plays,” Reid dead-panned following Sunday’s 42-37 victory at Pittsburgh – a place where the Chiefs haven’t won since 1986. “He did well.”
The coach chucked then continued, “The key to this thing is you keep going, you keep growing, and the more time these defensive coordinators have time to study you, you keep answering that bell. So that’s his challenge right now. he’s very willing to do everything and more, and that’s how he goes about his job. Is everything going to be roses? No. But he’s seeing things right now and doing a nice job. This was a good test for him. This is a good, defensive football team.”
The contest against the Steelers certainly didn’t look like a test for Mahomes. But that’s because of his approach to the game, which stems both from his upbringing, and the tutelage of Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Mahomes was born to be a professional athlete. But his family always believed his destiny involved baseball because he inherited the physical talents of his father Pat Mahomes Sr., who pitched in the Major Leagues for 10 years. Growing up observing the habits of his father, godfather LaTroy Hawkins, a 21-year MLB vet, and their teammates, the young Mahomes always understood the importance of dedication, preparation (both physically and mentally). Meanwhile, his mother Randi always stressed the importance of humility and thoughtfulness.
So, Mahomes always had that perfect foundation athletically and personally.
He always viewed himself as his own person, however, and that’s why when he got to high school, he made football his first love. Mahomes starred at Whitehouse High in Texas, went on to produce a prolific career at Texas Tech, and last year the Chiefs traded up to select him 10th overall.
“It was the the perfect marriage,” according to Mahomes’ agent Leigh Steinberg, who knows a thing or two about quarterbacks, having represented a long list of premier athletes, including Hall of Famers like Steve Young, Warren Moon and Troy Aikman. “Andy Reid is a quarterback whisperer, and the Chiefs have strong, stable ownership in Clark Hunt and a sharp general manager in Brett Veach. So, we were very excited when it became clear that the Chiefs were going to be able to get him.”
Mahomes and Reid both agree that the year of watching and learning from a then 13-year veteran in Smith benefitted the rookie greatly because it afforded him the opportunity to learn how to attack defenses, and how they react accordingly.
This offseason, after trading Smith to Washington, Reid further educated his young quarterback while tweaking elements of the offense to capitalize on his unique and versatile skill set. The Chiefs also further bolstered the supporting cast (adding talent both on offense and defense) to ensure long-term success for Mahomes.
Throughout the offseason training, Reid worked to foster an aggressive mentality in Mahomes.
“Let’s not hesitate,” he often told the quarterback. And because Mahomes is already aggressive by nature, Reid’s lessons have provided structure and discipline.
So, unlike many young quarterbacks, who struggle initially because they fail to trust their eyes and receivers and in so doing hesitate, Mahomes rifles one-bigtime throw after another without hesitating.
Reid’s expertise and strong track record with quarterbacks (Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick) greatly benefited Mahomes. But the quarterback also benefits both from an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and an eidetic memory (also known as photographic memory).
As Steinberg explained it, Mahomes’ mind works in a way that enables the quarterback to compartmentalize and slow the game down at a greater rate than most young quarterbacks.
“I think the secret’s out,” Steinberg chuckled.
Indeed, it is.