The Big Lead

Is the Patrick Mahomes decline a problem for the Kansas City Chiefs?

Completing big plays downfield has been an issue for Mahomes and the Chiefs

By Miguel Villafuerte

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes before a NFL game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena In Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes before a NFL game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena In Sao Paulo, Brazil. / Jean Carniel/Reuters via Imagn Images
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The Kansas City Chiefs were eyeing a good start to the season in their quest to go on another deep playoff run. However, their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday in Brazil showed the NFL world that there may be some tough questions they have to ask about their franchise quarterback.

Patrick Mahomes may have led Kansas City to Division titles and Super Bowl appearances in recent times, but one facet of his game which seems to have regressed the past few seasons has been in the big play department.

Believe it or not, Mahomes has been so poor at completing big chunk plays the last couple of years that he has ranked near bottom of the entire league when throwing for over 20 yards.

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From 2023-2024, the two-time league MVP threw 10 interceptions to only five touchdowns when attempting a pass for 20 yards or more downfield. His mediocre rating of 44.8 in this statistic puts him at 33rd out of 34 quarterbacks – literally second last in the NFL.

Compare this to 2018-2022 when he could seemingly drive the offense down the field with his eyes closed. In those five seasons, the three time Super Bowl winning QB posted 51 TDs and only 12 interceptions to lead the NFL with a 117.1 rating for passes of 20 plus yards downfield.

While losing a dangerous threat like Tyreek Hill in 2022 was probably always going to hurt the team’s explosiveness in the passing game, this is clearly an area where Mahomes and his receivers need to be much better.

Otherwise, it may be difficult to see the Chiefs as genuine Super Bowl contenders this year if Mahomes fails to recapture some of his old form as a downfield thrower.

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