Secret’s out on Mahomes after 10-touchdown start
Athletic pedigree, sharp mind, tutelage, work pay off
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 pass-catchers, the nolook 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 stats 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 that include his size (6-2, 225), speed (4.8-second 40yard 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 in the offsea-
son 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 deadpanned after Sunday’s 42-37 victory at Pittsburgh, where the Chiefs hadn’t won since 1986. “He did well.”
The coach chuckled 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. This was a good test for him.”
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 majors for 10 years. Growing up observing the habits of his dad, godfather LaTroy Hawkins, a 21-year MLB veteran, and their teammates, Mahomes always understood the importance of dedication, preparation (physically and mentally). Meanwhile, his mother, Randi, stressed the importance of humility and thoughtfulness.
Mahomes always viewed himself as his own person, however, and that’s why when he got to high school he made football his first love. He starred at Whitehouse High in Texas and 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,” said Mahomes’ agent, Leigh Steinberg, who knows a thing or two about quarterbacks, having represented premier athletes, including Hall of Famers 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.”
Mahomes and Reid both agree that the year of watching and learning from a then 13year veteran in Smith benefited 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 longterm 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.
Reid’s expertise and strong track record with quarterbacks (Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick) greatly benefited Mahomes. But he also benefits from an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and an eidetic memory (also known as photographic memory). This mental superpower enables him to vividly and precisely recall lessons, images and scenarios from the classroom, practice field and games.
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. This enables him to block out chaos around him, focus on holes in the defense and make decisions more quickly. His ability to pick up on the nuances of the position has helped him already understand how to look off defenders to create openings on another area of the field and to analyze the speed in which his target is moving to a point on the field and gauge whether he can beat the defenders there with a throw (all in a matter of 2.5 to 3 seconds).
That’s why already Mahomes has delivered some of the most jaw-dropping plays of the season, and it’s also why the Chiefs and Steinberg expect Mahomes to continue to improve. This isn’t just beginners’ luck, they insist.
But one of the most refreshing aspects about Mahomes is also his ability to remain grounded. After each game, he downplays his heroics, explaining, “I knew with this offense and the scheme that Coach Reid is drawing up, we’ve got a chance to be really, really good. It’s all about me getting the ball into the playmakers’ hands.”
Throughout his journey through the NFL draft, his rookie season and now his first season as a starter, Mahomes has lived by a mantra passed onto him by Steinberg.
“Stay in process,” Steinberg has reminded Mahomes.
Months before the preseason, Veach described Mahomes as “a great player.” That made Steinberg cringe.
But now, he admits that, after this 10-touchdown start, those efforts are futile.
“I think the secret’s out,” Steinberg chuckled.
Indeed, it is.