Patrick Mahomes’ last injury prompted Chiefs play-calling changes. This one can’t.
Patrick Mahomes faked the pitch to Damien Williams twice, a maneuver to move a couple of defenders out of his running lane. Effective, too. When one hesitated, Mahomes bowled into the end zone, absorbing a hit along the way, though plenty worth the outcome.
The Chiefs’ first Super Bowl touchdown in half a century arrived on this play. Their first lead, too.
Last Sunday, nearly a year later, Chiefs coach Andy Reid called the play again. It wasn’t his first time since the Super Bowl, and while he often throws in a different formation or wrinkle, the concept is the same. Mahomes turns the corner with the option to run the ball into the end zone himself or pitch it to his halfback. So back to last weekend: Mahomes kept it again, the first touchdown in a 22-17 playoff win against Cleveland, and then he celebrated by heaving the football into the upper deck.
Hours later, they called it again. Why not?
The Chiefs faced third and short midway through the third quarter, and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy echoed the call into Mahomes’ headset. Different formation. Same concept. A quarterback option. Mahomes turned the corner, faked a pitch to Darrel Williams and kept it himself.
To much less success. It was the final play of his afternoon. After being tackled by Cleveland linebacker Mack Wilson, Mahomes staggered when trying to stand, requiring entry into the NFL concussion protocol. And the Chiefs had to finish the win without him.
And wouldn’t you know it, a day later, Reid took questions about why he would put Mahomes in a vulnerable situation. Why risk it?
“Listen, it happens,” Reid said. “It just hasn’t happened much to him over time here.”
In 2019, Mahomes dislocated his kneecap on a quarterback sneak, an injury that cost him two games but seemed much worse in the moment. The Chiefs haven’t called a sneak since, and in a honest moment this season, Reid acknowledged he’s less likely to ever have Mahomes do it again.
“You hate to admit it,” he said. “But that didn’t work out so well.”
While this might feel similar, the response will be different. The option won’t be altogether removed from the playbook. It’s a rushing play in open space rather than one that demands immediate contact, Reid explained.
And if Mahomes isn’t comfortable enough to do that...
“If he can’t do that, he’s probably not past the protocol to be able to do that,” Reid said. “So that’s kind of how that rolls. You don’t want to put him out there if he can’t move.”
Mahomes did pass the concussion protocol, the official word coming from the team physicians and an independent doctor after Friday’s practice.
But here’s what Reid didn’t say in his explanation for preserving the playbook after this injury: the Chiefs can’t afford to throw a collection of plays away. Not this collection. Can’t afford to remove one of Mahomes’ more underrated weapons.
His legs.
Mahomes has rushed 62 times this season. More than one-third of them (22) have gone for first downs. Three more were touchdowns.
And they come at critical times.
Mahomes has carried the ball 18 times on third downs this season. Among those, all but five went for first downs. So in 13 of 18 situations, his legs, not his arm, extended the drive. His willingness to run directly leads to points they wouldn’t have otherwise scored in some cases. Many of those came on scrambles, but some were designed, the top option on the play call.
“I mean, listen, it’s hard to stop somebody from using their legs and running when they choose to run,” Reid said.
And they won’t tell him to either. It’s a key part of the offense, and even when he doesn’t run, simply the threat of it prompts hesitation. Sometimes it prompts a quarterback spy. Or there was the time the Chiefs ran the option play in New Orleans, except Mahomes pitched it, and running back Le’Veon Bell coasted into the end zone. After the game, Bell said he isn’t sure he’s had an easier touchdown in his career.
When Mahomes returns to the field Sunday, expect all of it to be in the mix.
“Going to all the doctors and talking to all the doctors and going through the testing, we have to believe there will be no lingering effects,” Mahomes said. “And I’ll be able to go out there and be myself and who I am every single week.”
That includes the inclination to run.
A couple of days before the playoffs — before the concussion protocol — Mahomes was actually asked about this topic. His answer? You do what it takes to win, particularly this time of year.
“I think the best thing about the playoffs is you can’t leave anything on the field. You gotta leave it all out there, and so if it gets presented to me and I’m able to use my legs, I’ll try to do that and try to stay away from getting those big hits and things like that,” he said. “You definitely take it to a new level when you get to the playoffs, so we’re excited to be here, and we’re excited to find a way to win a football game.”