The Patrick Mahomes Effect
by Laddie Morse
Some may think it’s far too soon to be projecting the Kansas City Chiefs future with Patrick Mahomes II at starting quarterback however, with three games under his belt and the level of play he’s displayed versus some very good teams — the Chargers and the Steelers — it appears we can expect more of the same, and perhaps more than that.
Trubisky, Watson & Mahomes
The first three quarterbacks taken in the 2017 NFL Draft were Mitchell Trubisky at #2, Patrick Mahomes at #10, and Deshaun Watson at #12. It’s hard to imagine any GM who wouldn’t take Mahomes first out of these three now. In fact, it’s hard ot imagine any GM in the league who wouldn’t trade his quarterback situation for the Chiefs with Mahomes… even the Patriots. I say the Patriots too because Tom Brady could retire any year now and Patrick Mahomes is just at the beginning of his career run.
Sitting Behind Alex Smith
Having watched plenty of tape on Patrick Mahomes in his stint at Texas Tech, I could understand why some teams would want to back away from him and perhaps label him a “big arm only” with limitations. One character trait you can almost never measure is a players ability to learn and make changes. I remember thinking “uh-oh” when I first saw Mahomes in his first preseason game in last year’s preseason because he showed some of those same habits that he had at Tech. Since then, he’s done nothing but alter his game and he seems to have mastered so many of the skills required to become a top notch QB in the NFL. Sitting behind Alex Smith and learning for a year was the right decision and I know it’s easy to say… we should have gotten him in there sooner… but the advantages of having Mahomes watch Smith will pay huge dividends more and more as time goes by. Smith’s patients and game managements skills — knowing when to run or knowing when to pull the ball down and/or throw it away — are all skills that Mahomes saw help the Chiefs last year. That’s important to remember because every game isn’t going to be as easy as the first two games this year.
Enough Balls to Go Around
Some pundits have asked — repeatedly — if the Chiefs will have enough balls to go around to please all the high level talent the Chiefs have on the offensive side of the ball? After scoring 80 points in two games against two of the better defenses in the league… supposedly… and more importantly, 10 touchdowns, the skill position players on this team aren’t complaining… and you won’t hear them complaining either. Sure, Sammy Watkins hasn’t scored a TD this year… YET. However, he appears to be a happy camper and looking forward to the remaining three years on his contract catching passes from the strong armed Mahomes. The SUM of more scoring is always happy offensive players. Less than zero problems here.
An Improved Offensive Line
Isn’t it funny how none of our offseason conversations have had to do with the poor play of the offensive line? That’s because the O-line has looked good with few exceptions. No, they are not suddenly the best O-line in the league but, having a QB who gets the ball out quickly and is willing to take a hit and keep on throwing the ball, has made them look better than they are.
The Negative Effect on the Defense
One of the effects of having a juggernaut scoring machine is that they score more quickly, leaving he defense on the field too long. The Chiefs had the ball on offense for 25:34 vs the Chargers… but they scored 38 points. The Chiefs had the ball for 27:49 vs the Steelers… but they scored 42 points. Complaining that Bob Sutton and his defense is not performing up to par may be a bit unfair, especially since they are not only on the field more but, both L.A. and Pittsburgh were exceedingly hot down on the field of play. Playing a “grind-it-out” offensive style like Marty Schottenheimer used to play, is not in the scope of this offense, even with Kareem Hunt in the house. Considering the current defensive roster, the answer may be to play a high-risk scheme where blitzing and taking chances on intercepting the ball are the theme of the day. Otherwise, this team may have to rely on it’s offense to win a shoot-out in every game… if they are to ultimately win a championship. Beyond that, the draft and free agency are the answer.
Attracting Premiere Players
Attracting players through free agency should be easier in the future when those players consider playing on the same team with a premiere QB like Patrick Mahomes. The magnet in New England and the one who retired a couple years ago in Denver have posed a problem for teams like K.C. who have wanted to bolster a roster on the brink of becoming a championship contender. That should not be a challenge over the next decade and it will be a pleasure watching the players the Chiefs are able to attract now that they have one of the best up and coming QBs in the league.
A Shift in the Balance of Power
Ben Roethlisberger… Tom Brady… Joe Flacco… and Peyton Manning (retired), have been the only quarterbacks to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl since the Oakland Raiders were last in the Super Bowl following the 2002 season… and Oakland had Rich Gannon at QB, an ex-Kansas City Chief. Ben, Tom and Joe: the only QBs left with Lombardi experience. Ben will be done in a couple of years. Joe may not be the QB of the Ravens next year. Tom… well, he might be around til he’s 50. Who knows? With all the new blood at QB that has come into the league recently, the balance of power is shifting and any team without a QB who can lead the way will be picking at the top of the draft. That’s not the Chiefs. With Patrick Mahomes leading the Chiefs to two victories… on the road… the Chiefs may have a QB capable to taking them to a championship. This certainly looks like a championship offense so far.
Building a Defense
The biggest challenges with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback — so far — have to do with putting the defense back out on the field too quickly. It sounds like a good problem to have… unless you are a player on the Chiefs defense. With Mahomes locked up for a few more years… and presumably a long term deal after that… GM Brett Veach has a number of years to create the attacking style defense he and coach Reid covet. With Justin Houston playing average ball on a max deal, I can see him cut next offseason… or at least restructured. With Dee Ford playing like Dee Ford, I can see him gone in 2019. With holes at Corner and Safety and more help needed along the D-line, there’s a lot of work to do in order to build this into a championship D. At least the Chiefs have some time.
Locking up the Offense
Tyreek Hill will need to be re-signed next offseason and if he keeps preforming as he is, that’s going to take a boatload of cap. The offseason after that, Mahomes will need to be locked up long term if Brett Veach is going to be forward thinking. So, while there is time to re-tool the defense, the result of having a successful team is… everybody wants to get paid. Can we blame that on Patrick Mahomes too. Sure, why not?
If you are viewing this in Apple News and would like to join the Discussion, [GO HERE.](http://arrowheadone.com/the-patrick-mahomes-effect/#disqus_thread)