Patrick Mahomes report card: Clutch plays lead to big road win
By Ian Wharton
Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes made timely plays to overcome the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. We have his full, weekly report card and analysis.
Coming off a shocking defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs were keen to make a statement win against a prime AFC contender. Going to Buffalo to face Josh Allen represented the perfect measuring stick for both teams. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes proved to be vastly superior to Allen in this head-to-head matchup.
Throughout the 2020 season we’ll be tracking and grading quarterback Patrick Mahomes as we start chronicling one of the most talented passers of all time. The mesmerizing star is extremely unique with his intelligence, playmaking, flair and incredible arm talents. Even at 25 years old it’s clear we have the opportunity to see a full career of greatness.
Mahomes was able to stay efficient as he adjusted his approach to account for bad weather and slippery footballs. He completed 21-of-26 passes for a solid 225 yards and two touchdowns. In total, 22-of-26 passes were catchable balls and one was dropped.
We’re looking beyond the stat sheet to analyze Mahomes this season. I’ve been charting catchable passes for the last six years for collegiate quarterback prospects, and the results have brought solid baselines in key areas of accuracy to project NFL success.
Mahomes benefitted from this, and the project is partially why I was so high on him as a prospect. We’ll be grading him on playmaking, decision-making, accuracy, efficiency, and awareness in addition to tracking his directional and situational passing effectiveness.
Playmaking: B-
This was an unconventional performance for both teams due to the issues both passing attacks faced with a slick ball. Passes were sailed or not attempted as the game went on, forcing both teams to prioritize shorter completions that could allow playmakers to finish strong. Even Mahomes looked uncomfortable throughout the game and reigned in his playmaking attempts in favor of efficiency.
One of the big differences between the two passing games happened to be that Mahomes can throw a curveball when he has to, whereas Allen struggled mightily again when his strength was taken away and accuracy failed him. It’s so hard to beat Mahomes because he can both improvise or play within structure at an extremely high level.
His run above was one of the most comical plays of the year because it actually worked for Mahomes to backtrack and then push forward to find the first down. He’s not the most effective run threat even in this game but his ingenuity as a playmaker knows no bounds. We saw it on a no-look pass to Brian Pringle later as well.
His 36 yards rushing was the third-most between both teams, and helped convert a few first downs. They were tremendously efficient on these downs, finishing 10-of-15 on third and fourth downs. The Bills lost this battle by a significant margin and it was a key storyline in the aftermath.
He again pulled the rabbit out of the hat late in the fourth quarter when the Chiefs needed one score to lock this win up. He drifted to his strong side and bought time for a crossing receiver to find open space. His patience and feel for the field and incoming pressure absolutely changed how this play unfolded since the coverage could’ve earned a sack.
These two instances were by far the most impactful off-script decisions by Mahomes. This game never turned into a shootout and the Chiefs owned the ground game, so he earns a slightly above-average mark for his playmaking.
Decision-Making: B+
Playing smart and limiting opportunities to get hit behind an unfamiliar offensive line was the way to attack a talented but surprisingly ineffective Bills defense. The Chiefs started yet another offensive line iteration this game thanks to injuries keeping the lineup uncertain. Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy assisted in lowering the burden on Mahomes by calling a run-heavy approach.
Just two of his passes went 20 yards or deeper, and another five beyond 11 yards. On a night where fumbles were an issue all around, keeping Mahomes upright and away from contact was for the best. He was successful by hitting quick-hitting passes underneath.
The lone mistake was a dropped interception by Josh Norman. Mahomes rolled to his right and had a seemingly open target with Norman to the right of the receiver. Norman read the pass well and pivoted his momentum, diving back in front of the ball and getting two hands on it.
It should’ve been an interception around mid-field but instead fell to the side. Mahomes gets knocked for this mistake in his grade but still passed thanks to his understanding of situational play.
Accuracy: B
The numbers are impressive for Mahomes, with a total of 22 passes being catchable out of 26. While he deserves credit for playing this game smartly, it’s also important to not over-emphasize the data when the film didn’t necessarily show an overly precise performance. Mahomes left more plays on the field than usual.
There’s several reasons for his poor ball placement on a few key throws. Buffalo kept pressure on him and throughout the first half we could see Mahomes avoid stepping upwards in the pocket despite having some room to. This cost him accuracy and he floated some passes he’d normally hit in stride.
This was a near interception if the safety was more behind the receiver and not out in front. The incoming pressure up the middle certainly was to blame but this was similar to the near-pick-six he threw against the Raiders last week. That miss cost them their chance at a comeback win.
Missing out on yards after the catch became an issue on a few throws as well as the ball simply didn’t have the usual spin on it. Getting Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill or Mecole Hardman in open space and room to run can completely flip a game open. But throws like the one below rob them of their superpowers.
This is a middling positive grade for Mahomes because he was efficient with his attempts overall but it’s notable he left several plays on the field.
Efficiency: A
Of course the highlight plays were still there for the All-Pro playmaker. He still hit some absurd throws to extend drives or convert touchdown opportunities. His second touchdown pass was a perfectly thrown touch pass over the shoulder.
Mahomes made this easy for Kelce to tap his feet and finish the play. Mahomes was an efficient 3-for-3 with a touchdown within the red zone, and 4-of-6 and a score on conversion downs. He made the clutch plays when he needed to.
The unnecessary deep shots that younger, less disciplined quarterbacks like Allen take to compensate for struggling mechanics or a stagnant offense don’t plague Mahomes the same way. He showed great efficiency and maturity with this performance.
Awareness: B+
One of the top traits of Mahomes is to avoid sacks. He took only one this game, and it was one he couldn’t escape despite making a great effort. Mario Addison simply had the positioning and capitalized on Mahomes’ trapped status.
Avoiding negative plays then kept the running game chugging because they continually were ahead in down and distance instead of long-yardage situations. He delivered six catchable balls on nine pressures as well, continuing his streak of seeing the field well and winning pre-snap. His knowledge of the situation has won him so many plays that he physically shouldn’t have that he should be known as one of the elite minds of the NFL.
Overall this was a good performance from Mahomes. He didn’t need to overtake this game each play but rather be smart and efficient, and he executed perfectly. This week’s battle with Denver may bring more fireworks since the conference foe has been a thorn in his side in past years.