David Bell

As I watched the CHiefs game Thursday Night — a game fraught with heart-attack moments — it occurred to me that Patrick Mahomes has an audience, it is not just Chiefs fans either. The national pundits are seeing the up and down moments as is the Chiefs fanbase. Various comments are made about the Mahomes Highs and Lows. Thursday’s game is a perfect example. Do not think that I am bummed out by our great QB, but something is going on with him in 2021. Still, at the end of the day, Patrick Mahomes engineered 3 4th Quarter drives, coming from behind twice and driving the field to a point where an intermediate pass to Travis Kelce secured the victory in Overtime. Great stuff by Travis Kelce. Great stuff from Tyreek Hill and although Patrick fumbled the ball and threw a pick, the latter two faux pas which comprises two of the three confusing lows of this game, K.C. won a must-win game!

I know I have had these types of observations on my mind for most of this season. Laddie Morse wrote an article about both Reid’s and Mahomes’s focus problems earlier this season. Really, it is worth referring back to: “An Open Letter to Clark Hunt: Please sit Andy Reid“

I followed up with another piece at that time, as the Chiefs entered November with a record of 3-4. Things appeared bleak. Laddie and I tossed around the effects of family circumstance and the inherent Reid worry about the legal situation with his son Britt and the injury to a child in the offseason accident outside the Arrowhead Complex. Neither Ladner nor I see a way that this has not affected Andy Reid emotionally. At the same time, our stellar QB was struggling and dealing with a new member of the family. Also, we had seen Frank Clark’s performance diminish as he too was dealing with legal problems. See my article here –> “A Dark Side of the Force has descended on the Chiefs Kingdom“

About the same time, I began to think of Andy Reid as the mad hatter. I gave the Chiefs run at the time I wrote this as being fomented by the defense arising from the ashes of the first 7 games as a phoenix. Indeed since the winning streak run began, the Chiefs defense held opponents to about 10 PPG. Versus the Chargers, they gave up 28, but my caveat to that is the Chiefs were missing 3 major components: Chris Jones, Willie Gay, and L’jarius Sneed: The Chiefs best DT, he Chiefs best LB and, the Chiefs best Cornerback. You can refer back to the Mad Hatter episode, here: “Reid a Mad-Hatter: Trial By Trickster“

The Positives

I want to focus attention on the game positives and there were many. The Chiefs did not wilt in the face of a strong Charger performance. Plays were made and the gang stepped up and stuck together in the face of adversity. Of special note for me was the play of Nick Bolton who had a monster game at LB with Gay unable to play. Bolton had 14 tackles, a QB hit, and a tipped ball that was picked off by fellow LB Anthony Hitchens.

Of course, Mr. Money in the bank, Kelce himself, and Tyreek Hill were greatness. Between the two of them, they accounted for 22 receptions in this game and tons of stats to boot.

Mahomes pass thrown Low to Hardman: If you take a peek at the video, Mahomes pass not only was short but it was offline. Laddie and I were discussing the ups and downs on Friday, December 17th. Laddie noticed that Mahomes did not grip the ball with fingers on the lacing. It was fourth and one at the goal line. Reid called the pass play and indeed Mecole Hardman was open. A run play with about 39 inches to go could have been the play called, but the play went south when Patrick fluttered the pass horribly. See the video and listen to the Commentator on the play here –>: https://www.nfl.com/videos/mahomes-fourth-down-throw-flutters-short-of-mecole-hardman-for-bolts-goal-line-s

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The True Mahomes – Ice in his veins

After Mahomes had erred, it appeared that he had given the Chargers the win. Fortunately for the Chiefs, Chargers HC Brandon Staley called a go-to Justin Herbert 5 times, but the Chiefs only gave up 10 points due to the 2 successes. Staley had to come correct at his presser, but if truth be told, on at least 3 of those failures, if I were the Chargers Head Coach I would have made the same call on 3 of them probably. One common adage in today’s world of the NFL about the Chiefs: you won’t beat them by kicking FG’s. In the Charger’s case? On the first attempt, you take the points and tie the game. Didn’t happen.

Perhaps the biggest Defensive stop of the whole game though was the Charger’s first possession. Their Special teams came up big on the kickoff return with 75 yards on the play. The Chiefs held the Chargers from scoring, took over at the 7, succeeded in making a first down on a pass and great speed run along the sideline by Tyreek Hill. However, then shot themselves in the foot with a holding call on Creed Humphrey. Still, the Chiefs overcame being deep in the hole and over-came the penalty, and Mahomes led the Chiefs — as a master — down the field and they tallied the first TD score of the game.

You have to really consider what Patrick Mahomes accomplished in the final 10+ minutes of the game: the Chiefs drove the ball for 3 successful scoring drives, tying the game twice and then winning it in OT. All three of those drives were 75 yards. Not only that, but the Chiefs scored on a 2 point conversion pass to tie the game at 21-21 on a reception by Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Despite what I viewed as a game in which Patrick Mahomes gave us pause to scratch our heads… my point is that when it counted, Patrick Mahomes was stellar throwing for 2 TDs, over 200 yards after the 3rd Quarter ended, and 410 yards overall and 3 TD. We had worries that the Chiefs were ineffective with the deep passes and Patrick Mahomes put that to rest with 3 pass completions over 20 yards (Plus plenty of YAC by both Hill and Kelce). Yes: Ice in their veins and you see why that statement is true for Patrick Mahomes.

Note: on the pass that was ruled a Mahomes fumble, I believe the officials erred. It should have been an incomplete pass.

Kelce had 10 catches for 191 Yards and 2 TDs.

Tyreek Hill had 12 catches, 148 yards, and a TD. Ice in their veins? YOU BET!

Mahomes Missed a Wide Open Hardman in the End Zone – a sure TD

What is important about Patrick failing to find Hardman in the end zone is that this would have been a sure TD. Patrick just missed one. Really, I am nit-picking here because, in the heat of things, such situations occur regularly. It was just so obvious though.

Ecstatic High to finish the game

Fast Forward to the end of Regulation and the three drives – the first two of which tied the game to send it into overtime and lastly, the drive where Kelce finds his way to the end zone with 37 YAC. The Chiefs escape LA with a walk-off OT win! Nick Jacob’s tweeted:

Want to see the upside from the man at the helm of the offense? See Patrick Mahomes presser, here:

Can The Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl and Win? My short answer is: Uncle you Bet–YES! That’s the only answer I can give you.

Let’s roll Kansas City Chiefs! It’s all right in front of you. Patrick said: “If we execute, we can score on anybody.”

Honey! Let’s go get Nathan Junior*–er… the AFC Playoff Bye and a Super Bowl Win!!!!!

*line from the film: Raising Arizona

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David Bell – ArrowheadOne

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