(Kansas City) Ask any coach or player in the NFL world: the level of play increases when the playoffs arrive. There is no more time to reflect on the pitch. Decisions made in the field are instinctive, rather than carefully crafted.
Maybe that’s why Patrick Mahomes is performing so well in the playoffs.
Whether it’s his talent for throwing blind passes, underwater passes or the myriad other ways the Chiefs quarterback gets creative on the field, there’s no probably not a better player than him in the NFL at this time of year. His ability to make plays when the odds are stacked against him still surprises his teammates and opponents.
“My family and friends ask me how Patrick Mahomes is,” said Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who relaunched his career in his first season at the quarterback. I just see him as someone special.
“It’s like playing a video game Madden, back in the days when you could control Michael Vick, able to run all the court and then throw the ball 80 yards out, Smith-Schuster explained. It’s a bit like that, but in real life. »
What many call “Mahomes’ magic” in Kansas City tends to come to fruition this time of year, and the results are nothing short of amazing: Mahomes has reached the All-American Championship Game every year since He became a starter four years ago, made two Super Bowl finals and won an MVP award, ending the franchise’s 50-year drought that same year.
The quarterback will want to improve his section game record to 5-0 on Saturday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I think all the guys understood that no matter when they signed with the team, the goal here is to win a Super Bowl,” Mahomes said. If we don’t, then we feel like we’ve failed. However, we cannot look too far ahead. We are playing against a good team this week, playing good football, so we have to figure out how to train today to be better by the end of the week. I also believe that we have to have the right mentality, which I think the players have, so we are in a good position. »
The Chiefs, winners of the last seven American West Division titles, are rarely in a bad position with Mahomes on the field. Overall, the latter is 8-3 in the playoffs. He’s averaging 307 passing yards per game, boosted by 404 passing yards in a first-round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. Additionally, he threw 28 touchdown passes, compared to just seven interceptions. Mahomes also had five rushing touchdowns, including one last year in a division game win over the Buffalo Bills.