Patrick

Mahomes

Mahomes didn’t see much man coverage, and overthrew Travis Kelce while the Bengals were in zone for his first interception. The second pick was a terrific play from Cam Taylor-Britt on a one-handed stab on a throw to Xavier Worthy. He found Rashee Rice on a dot for a 44-yard touchdown, and found offensive tackle Wanya Morris for the second. The biggest play he made was a 4th-and-16 play near the end of the game where he threw across his body and drew a pass-interference call for Rice that set up the game-winning field goal. A mixed day for Mahomes, but one that showed off his otherworldly talent. He’ll square off against the Falcons on Sunday Night Football in Week 3.

Mahomes averaged 10.4 yards per attempt, which would have been his highest in any 2023-24 contest, including the postseason. It wasn’t quite the return of anything goes down-field Mahomes, but he didn’t miss electric rookie Xavier Worthy on a freebie 35-yard touchdown. He also worked some of his freelance magic with Travis Kelce. Like last season, Mahomes relentlessly targeted Rashee Rice over the middle of the field. With Worthy showing off his world-class jets on a pair of scores and Hollywood Brown (shoulder) a week or two away from a return, it certainly seems like Mahomes will have more than one 10-plus YPA performance this season. The Bengals are on tap for Week 2.

That’s the bad news. The good news is, the weather has already cleared the area and there should be no further delays. What’s 20 more minutes?

Mahomes has relied on short-to-intermediate passing over the last three years, culminating in a career-low 6.9-yard aDOT in 2023. The team refocused on the downfield passing game this offseason by adding speed to the wide receiver corps and featuring deep-ball passing in OTAs. Mahomes is reportedly honing his connection with free agent signee Marquise Brown. According to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, nearly half of Mahomes’ Wednesday passing attempts traveled 20-plus yards downfield.

The two-time Super Bowl champions will head to Pittsburgh to play in a Christmas game broadcast on Netflix. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs contingent will be competing for one of the top seeds in the AFC at this time while the Steelers may be competing for a playoff spot. At this point of the season, the Steelers will have a large sample size to judge their quarterback room and either Justin Fields will have taken over or Russell Wilson will be holding down the fort. With the other Christmas game being Ravens-Texans, this day looks to have massive playoff implications in the AFC.

The location has changed, but the names remain the same. Last year’s AFC title game that was played in Baltimore between the Ravens and Chiefs is set for a rematch, as the Chiefs will play host to the Ravens to kickoff the 2024 regular season. The two AFC powerhouses will face off on NBC — a network many are saying is the best one to catch a game on. While Lamar Jackson will look to win his second-straight MVP and third in six seasons, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are aiming to become the first team to win three-straight Super Bowl championships. Both teams could once again square off in the playoffs, making the opener an exciting preview of potential things to come for what’s sure to be a great season.

Veach’s comment suggests Rashee Rice could be facing a lengthy suspension for allegedly causing a six-car crash while racing his Lamborghini with another driver in March. Toney, a healthy scratch during Kansas City’s Super Bowl run last year, has been working with Patrick Mahomes in Texas this offseason along with other Chiefs pass catchers. “It doesn’t do anyone any good unless you stay healthy. But the kid has always worked hard here for us and I know he’s been down there with Pat and I think it’s a matter of him staying healthy and I think if he can do that, he can really do a lot of great things in this offense,” Veach said. Toney, 25, has been listed on the injury report in 19 of his 21 games as a Chief. Constant nagging injuries have severely limited his availability, and even when he has been healthy, the team has used him as a rotational player. Toney could default into a solid early-season role if Rice is suspended for multiple games though.

Converting a huge chunk of his salary to a pro-rated bonus, Mahomes is clearing a whopping $21.6 million in space. The back-to-back champs have been quiet in free agency thus far, but this hints at some coming moves as K.C. embarks on the quest for the NFL’s first-ever threepeat.

Using the entirety of just the second overtime period in Super Bowl history, the Chiefs became the first team since the 2003-04 Patriots to repeat as champions. As always, it began and ended with Mahomes, who shook off a bevy of bad snaps and one bad interception to keep his team in a defensive slugfest. He then put them on his back and over the top on the game-winning drive. With the Chiefs playing an increasingly conservative style of offense as Tyreek Hill receded further into the rear-view mirror and 2022’s personnel issues deepened instead of improved, Mahomes slumped to career lows (for a healthy season) across the board. “Just” sixth in the league in yards, and eighth in passing scores, Mahomes failed to finish in the top five for MVP voting. He then put the offense on his back and played heroic, mistake-free football as the Chiefs cut through the Dolphins, Bills and Ravens en route to their fourth Super Bowl in five years. Still in a tier by himself atop the “real life” quarterback rankings, Mahomes remains the best active football player on planet earth as he heads into his age-29 campaign. That being said, he will continue to face stiff competition in the fantasy rankings.

And with that, Mahomes and the Chiefs advance to their fourth Super Bowl in five years. The Chiefs, of course, have appeared in the AFC Championship Game all six seasons Mahomes has been starter. Sunday was the first time the game occurred away from Arrowhead Stadium, but Mahomes had all the answers in the first half as the Chiefs built up what would prove to be an insurmountable 17-7 lead. Only three points were scored after the break. As was the case in the Divisional Round, mistakes by Mahomes’ supporting cast left some meat on the bone — these were more of the administrative than “drops” variety — but the defense was simply too good for the opposition to mount a credible comeback. Mahomes will go for ring No. 3 two weeks from today against either San Francisco or Detroit.