Patrick Mahomes report card: Game manager in win over Broncos
By Ian Wharton
Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes played the role of game manager in Week 7. We have his full, weekly report card and analysis.
The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 6-1 as they pulverized the Denver Broncos in a divisional matchup that was filled with snowy conditions and sloppy play. Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t have to do too much to help spur his team to the win. It was one of the first games of his career he donned the game-manager hat and it was plenty for his team.
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 15-of-23 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown. The Chiefs didn’t need much from the All-Pro as the defense and special teams took over.
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 simply wasn’t a game where much creation was needed from Mahomes. With only 23 attempts and four of those coming behind the line of scrimmage, the Chiefs were more concerned about sustaining drives and breaking in Le’Veon Bell than giving Mahomes the chance to takeover with huge plays. This was the right strategy considering the weather and game flow.
Both Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Bell were solid on the ground, gaining chunks of yardage to help pad their numbers on limited attempts. The offense simply didn’t need to do much; the Broncos imploded and were down 24-9 at halftime. This was never a game.
Mahomes’ best play of the game was, of course, a drop on a third-down in the red zone. This play would’ve been a touchdown as he rolled out to his right and quickly fired a dart into the chest of Edwards-Helaire. The rookie was unable to secure it as it seemed his eyes were more concerned about the traffic around him.
This was a peak-Mahomes play as he created a scoring opportunity out of nothing. Mahomes has suffered some tough drops this year, and he lost two more this game. But his highlight reel will lose out on a creative and impressive touchdown toss.
The crossbody throw that he’s become so good at completing also came in handy. Up big in the fourth quarter, Mahomes continued to rollout to his right. Pressure came, and he saw defenders overpursuing him and found a wide open target waiting in the middle of the field.
The result is a sizable gain and another playmaking conversion. These aren’t plays that affected the actual outcome of the game but they’re fun to see and reflect his elite capabilities.
Decision-Making: B
Mahomes protected the ball well, and none of the three sacks he took could be credited as his fault. He was safe with his attempts and followed script as often as he could. That can be worthy of praise but also limiting for the offense.
The biggest gripe of this game has to do with his missed opportunity to score another touchdown. If you’re counting at home, then yes, this is the second touchdown the offensive lost out on, and the Chiefs could’ve scored closer to 60.
The play above was a forced pass to Tyreek Hill near the far sideline on third down. The ball isn’t accurate, and the play is dead before it really had a chance. The issue isn’t as much the throw as the decision to force it there.
The top of the screen showed two open receivers who may have taken a well-placed ball into the endzone. Both the back, who releases into the flat, and the outside receiver emerge quickly into space. Mahomes starts the play glancing that way but commits to Hill on a fade.
Accuracy: B
Let’s break down the catchable ball numbers from this game. Mahomes was accurate on all four passes behind the line of scrimmage, 8-of-11 on throws from 0-10 yards, four-of-four from 11-19 and one-of-two on 20 and beyond. 17-of-21 with two throwaways is impressive even if the average distance of air yards was low.
He missed on half his four throws on conversion downs, and threw an accurate pass on four-of-eight attempts under pressure. He didn’t dominate in the areas he usually does. Though his placement was better this week than last week’s odd off-game, he wasn’t stellar in situational football.
Efficiency: C-
This really stems from the above-mentioned performance under pressure and on third-and-fourth down situations. Mahomes usually owns defenses when he needs to most, but his play slipped into mediocrity too often. Without the highlight plays and consistency, it’s hard to give him a positive grade.
Instead this was a below-average outcome for the star gunslinger in this category. Having so few chances to actually make up for his misses magnified the misses. It’s not fair to punish him for the team’s successes though either.
He gets a disappointing grade but nothing that’s too critical considering how this one played out.
Awareness: B
This was a low-pressure game for the Chiefs offense and that’s thanks to a solid level of execution. Mahomes avoided deadly turnovers in slick conditions and never gave the Broncos the chance to do more than get a few sacks. He controlled the game even as things around him weren’t perfect with a fumble and some drops.
Sounds like a game manager role, and Mahomes owned it this week without risking the health of himself or teammates by testing tight windows he didn’t need to. It’s a refreshing way for this team to win after needing so many big performances from the gunslinger since he was named starter.