Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes showed a specific superpower in 2018. It’s back in 2024

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy laughs in the locker room, saying yes, he has been part of a jump-pass football completion like teammate Patrick Mahomes had to him in Sunday’s victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

It’s been a while, though — way back when Worthy played quarterback in Pop Warner youth football.

So a professional QB doing that, to convert a first down on third-and-10, all while sidestepping NFL defenders in the pocket?

“It just adds on to his legacy,” Worthy told The Star on Wednesday. “At the end of every game, he just taps into a different mode.”

Which also showed itself later on the game-winning drive.

On a third-and-7, the Chiefs ran a pass play aimed to beat the Chargers’ man coverage. Los Angeles, however, countered by dropping eight defenders into a zone.

No problem. Mahomes rolled out, looking to his first and second reads, dodged a defender, then found tight end Travis Kelce for 9 yards and a first down.

Chiefs reserve quarterback Chris Oladokun said these types of heroic moves from Mahomes have become so commonplace to offensive teammates that it “doesn’t even surprise us anymore.”

“He’s the best in the business, especially in third-and-longs,” Oladokun said. “We always joke in the QB room if something’s not there, you just know he’s going to make something shake.”

Though the Chiefs haven’t always performed as they’ve wanted during this 12-1 start, it’s worth highlighting one area that has repeatedly gone according to plan.

That would be Mahomes’ magic — and specifically his unprecedented ability to perform with the odds against his team.

Sports Info Solutions (SIS) allows some drilling into the details, letting us sort NFL situations that are among the most dire in the NFL:

• A team either tied or trailing by seven or less in the fourth quarter or overtime;

• A team facing third or fourth down and 7 or more yards to go;

In these scenarios, SIS tracks a stat called “points earned per play,” aimed to give quarterbacks proper credit for their role on a particular snap.

Since 2018, the best season with these parameters among 150 NFL quarterbacks with at least five pass attempts in a season is ... Mahomes in 2018. In the small sample (of a rare-for-the-Chiefs criterion) that year, Mahomes had separate completions of 35, 26 and 48 yards.

The 2024 version of Mahomes, though, isn’t far behind. He ranks 13th among the 150 QBs, with separate first-down-converting throws this season of 7, 31, 14 and 9 yards.

Zoom out further, and one truth about Mahomes also stands out: He’s among the best ever in late-down situations.

SIS again provides the data, allowing us to capture quarterback passing stats while focusing on third- and fourth-down plays in the regular season and playoffs combined.

Among 262 separate QB seasons since 2018, Mahomes’ 2020 season ranks first in “points earned per play” on third and fourth downs. Not only that, Mahomes also makes the leaderboard at third (2019) and seventh (2018), too.

Only two other quarterbacks (Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers) have a pair of top-20 seasons over that time.

Mahomes has six top-20 seasons, and his worst mark ranks him 73rd out of the 262-QB sample.

What is it that allows Mahomes to be at his best in these back-against-the-wall settings?

Oladokun believes the most significant factor is Mahomes’ “off-the-charts” instincts. Most quarterbacks escape the pocket with a one-track mind, Oladokun said, looking only to scramble to get the first down.

Mahomes, however, continues to weigh his options on the move while still looking to pass.

“He’s just extending plays,” Oladokun said, “and giving guys a chance.”

Mahomes also said Wednesday that in those clutch moments, he focuses on executing the single play he’s given while not letting his mind linger to thinking about the entire drive. He also feels his NFL experience has put him in a place where he can “keep a calm mindset in those moments.”

His mastery there still wows teammates — especially those new to playing with Mahomes.

That includes the 21-year-old Worthy, who was most impressed Sunday by “just his ability to make the throw” on that crucial third-and-10.

A maneuver Worthy admits he hasn’t seen much — at least not since grade school.

“It just shows who Pat is,” Worthy said. “... He’s just going to lead us down the field and capitalize.”

This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 6:00 AM.

Jesse Newell

The Kansas City Star

816-234-4759

Jesse Newell covered the Chiefs for The Star until August 2025. He won an EPPY for best sports blog and previously was named top beat writer in his circulation by AP’s Sports Editors. His interest in sports analytics comes from his math teacher father, who handed out rulers to Trick-or-Treaters each year.