Patrick Mahomes’ preparation for this weekend’s Patriots game started back in January
The aftermath of one play, one stop, one touchdown or even one coin toss shy of a Super Bowl appearance unfolded differently for all of those involved.
The Chiefs’ locker room preserved a distinct stillness in those moments. Players quietly exchanged hugs and wished one another well in the upcoming offseason, finally a chance to unwind.
For some.
Before embarking on any sort of offseason schedule, quarterback Patrick Mahomes sat down and re-watched the agony of the AFC Championship Game result, a 37-31 New England Patriots win in overtime at Arrowhead Stadium. Play by every play.
“Even though we didn’t have another game, I wanted to still learn from that game and get as much as I can (out of it) going into the offseason,” Mahomes said.
The nature of the Patriots made the exercise uniquely important. Mahomes had encountered things during the game— most notably while being blanked in the first half — that he had not seen as he pored through film before that showdown.
The Patriots held wide receiver Tyreek Hill to one catch that day after he totaled 142 yards and three touchdowns against them in the regular season. The Chiefs expected he would garner extra attention, and sure enough, he was double-teamed or bracketed throughout the game.
Some of the other looks the Patriots threw at them came as a surprise. Coverage packages that didn’t show up on film. “Unscouted” looks, Mahomes calls them.
This is the way of the Patriots and their defensive-minded head coach, Bill Belichick.
“It’s helped me out even this season in general — the way they presented different things that maybe we didn’t expect or that they did that were unscouted looks,” Mahomes said.
Which brings us to the present. As the Chiefs prepare to face the Patriots Sunday for the first time since that AFC Championship meeting, they face the same difficult task as their predecessors. The same task they faced twice last season.
How do you prepare for a defense knowing it will likely provide looks it has yet to put on tape?
“We’ve watched the tape — we went back and tried to look at everything that they could possibly do,” Mahomes said. “But whenever we get these unscouted looks, it’s about me finding the best way to get us into the best play and not taking these negative plays.”
There are a couple of ways of achieving that, and past experiences fortify the odds. (Hence the postgame activity in January.)
A new scheme can prompt a quarterback to take too much time — as he’s trying to figure out what the defense is doing, the pass rush is on the way. Mahomes said he fell into such a trap when the two teams met in the regular season. He held the ball too long. In the second half of that conference championship contest, adjustments prompted a 31-point half. Trust your playmakers to make plays, coach Andy Reid reminded him.
“You have to quiet your mind, I think is the biggest thing,” Mahomes said. “You have to understand that you can’t be perfect every single time, even though you want to be. And you have to find ways to get the ball out of your hand.”
The Patriots have the top-ranked defense in the NFL. They allow only 258 yards per game, and just 164 through the air. They’ve intercepted 20 passes, five more than any other team the league. They’re fourth in sacks. Quarterbacks have a league-worst 57.3 rating against New England.
The list goes on.
They have talent. No coach is more praised for his scheme than Belichick. But those who face him often are quick to credit the scheme’s adaptability, too.
The unscouted looks.
“The biggest thing I learned — I think the difference between the first time I played these guys and the second time — is to not get rattled,” Mahomes said. “Just to see what it is, understand that it might be an unscouted look, and just find the best ways to get us into the best play that I think we can get positive yards on.”