Patrick Mahomes’ 10 best moments with Chiefs so far, and what we can learn from them

By Sam Mellinger

Updated August 27, 2018 1:04 PM

If virtual practice throws can be famous, the most famous moment of Patrick Mahomes’ professional career so far is the ball traveling 68.6 yards in the air and over three Falcons defensive backs and into the hands of Tyreek Hill, who promptly twerked.

“I believe the touchdown wouldn’t have gotten as much hype if I wouldn’t have twerked,” Hill said.

We think Hill was joking, but either way, the play began its viral journey before Hill gyrated himself into the highlight.

The play was everything — Mahomes’ superhuman arm strength, Hill’s cheat-code speed, defenders unable to keep up with the combination.

It was the first real wow moment with Mahomes as the Chiefs’ first-string quarterback, the Alex Smith safety net gone, Mahomes’ go-deep-first, checkdown-later style now the Chiefs’ new reality.

That the ball wasn’t a perfect spiral — a 69-yard duck, if you will — and was actually under thrown simply adds to the legend.

When asked on Sunday for the most impressive throw of Mahomes’ career so far, “the long one” was the first that coach Andy Reid mentioned. But then a few more quickly followed — a second-read pass to Tyreek Hill over the middle, a third down touch pass to Travis Kelce in the corner ... and those are just from the first two weeks.

Here’s something that’s true: The most impressive throw of the NFL’s preseason is not Mahomes’ best moment.

Mahomes has thrown 132 passes for the Chiefs — 97 in the preseason, 35 in a virtual practice game last December in Denver. He is now in the NFL’s version of bubble wrap, his next pass coming in exactly 13 days, in his first meaningful game: at the Los Angeles Chargers.

Mahomes is neither a perfect quarterback nor particularly close to whatever the best version of himself will be. Nothing definitive should ever be taken from preseason snaps, but at times we’ve seen Mahomes overeager, too locked in on a single read and impatient. His most potentially harmful trait is a tendency to let his incredible arm talent talk him into bad risks.

The latter is a high-level criticism, the former are typical and not alarming for a first-year starting quarterback, and the positives outweigh it all.

But we’re at a significant moment in his development. Pretend games are over. The real ones are about to start. The Chiefs, for the first time in a generation, will win or lose with a young, homegrown quarterback.

Here, then, for prosperity’s sake, are the 10 most impressive throws we’ve seen so far from the future of the franchise:

10. The timing is the most impressive part of this, and the mind-mesh with Kelce the most encouraging. This is third and long, and once Mahomes sees single coverage on Kelce, he knows where he’s throwing. The ball leaves Mahomes’ hands two steps before Kelce’s break, and three before he turns to look for the ball, which is impeccably timed and placed at the sideline for a clean first down.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SomethingGood?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SomethingGood</a> This isn't that easy of a throw. We continue to see the trust Mahomes has built up with Travis Kelce. Excellent touch and anticipation on third an long. <a href="https://t.co/Mx3M0EZJn4">pic.twitter.com/Mx3M0EZJn4</a></p>— Kent Swanson (@kent_swanson) <a href="https://twitter.com/kent_swanson/status/1031343896998100992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

9. Watch Brandon Marshall, the linebacker, dropping into zone coverage on Mahomes’ left side. He’s reading the quarterback’s eyes and head. Mahomes recognizes this, so in the process of managing a collapsed pocket he pushes Marshall far enough to the middle of the field to get Wilson open near the sideline. This is a no-look pass, in football, which is a fairly absurd thing to say.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here's another big gain that really isn't Wilson winning so much as the route combos are good and (this is crucial) the underneath zone defender gets pulled inside by Mahomes's eyes and body (this is the "no look pass" play). <br><br>Nice job snagging an extra few yards, though. <a href="https://t.co/fFvbzLiIkD">pic.twitter.com/fFvbzLiIkD</a></p>— Seth Keysor (@RealMNchiefsfan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealMNchiefsfan/status/971153867005100035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>

8. Turning a negative into a positive is Mahomes’ greatest gift, and the biggest advantage he has over Alex Smith. The defensive lineman comes around on a stunt, forcing Mahomes to move. He may have been able to break to his left and run but opts to go to his right — where he’s more dangerous as a passer — with his eyes downfield. He is essentially moving backward as he throws, sidearmed with the lineman closing in. The ball goes some 30 yards, including the diagonal, for a first down.

7. This is from the Denver game, and was easy to miss. But despite all the other highlights, this is Mahomes’ favorite throw of the game. He reads blitz, which shows preparation, and adjusts the coverage accordingly, which shows control of the offense. This is the kind of play Alex Smith was so good at, and if Mahomes can match with these subtleties, his ability with the spectacular will be overwhelming. Notably, he made a similar read and throw on the touchdown to Kareem Hunt on Saturday.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Denver is sugaring the A gaps showing pressure. Mahomes is alert to nickel blitz as well, slides the protection. He's responsible for the left edge defender now if he comes. Edge comes, Denver out leveraged. Sherman gets 7.99 yards on 3rd and 8. <a href="https://t.co/I0eKmp5XvR">pic.twitter.com/I0eKmp5XvR</a></p>— Kent Swanson (@kent_swanson) <a href="https://twitter.com/kent_swanson/status/948620706484547584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>

6. Technically, this was the first completion of Mahomes’ career. The pocket is clean and the read fairly simple, but the willingness and ability to attack the deep middle part of the field with the backup tight end is significant. This is 35 yards, on a clothesline, over the linebacker and underneath the safety, a football through a window the size of a cereal box.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Patrick Mahomes first completion of his Hall of Fame Career is a strike to Demetrius Harris up the Seam <a href="https://t.co/jotvfFEZPX">pic.twitter.com/jotvfFEZPX</a></p>— JKuhn (@h8rproof82) <a href="https://twitter.com/h8rproof82/status/947580499593256960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2017</a></blockquote>

5. Finally, we get to “the throw,” and it’s in quotations here instead of capitalized because there is a 100 percent certainty that Mahomes will soon do something better that people will want to call The Throw. He throws it farther than most of his peers are capable, without a crow-hop, with his momentum divided, and while being knocked down by two defenders.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLPartner?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLPartner</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLGamePass?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLGamePass</a> shows us the play of the preseason so far...Patrick Mahomes to Tyreek Hill with the kind of pass that gets Chiefs' fans excited. Sign up at <a href="https://t.co/OMpK20J1RU">https://t.co/OMpK20J1RU</a> <a href="https://t.co/Sy7TGLp7dn">pic.twitter.com/Sy7TGLp7dn</a></p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1033364974905778178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

4. That’s an unblocked and blitzing safety wrapped around Mahomes’ waist for a full second, maybe more, before a 25-yard pass is thrown (before the receiver is open) to convert a third and long. All of that really happened.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">3rd and 14, WR Wilson makes sure to take his route past the sticks for Mahomes. But MAAAAANNNN. A defender is completely unblocked, Mahomes moves to his left and with the guy sliding off of him throws a STRIKE!! Look at him swing his right hip through and torque..Disgusting. <a href="https://t.co/cfxXzVilco">pic.twitter.com/cfxXzVilco</a></p>— Cover 1 (@Cover_1_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cover_1_/status/966445240973516800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>

3. This was the first moment, or at least the first one televised, the one that as much as anything presented what’s now possible. He breaks the pocket, initiating the so-called scramble drill, and as he’s running parallel to the line of scrimmage throws 50 yards downfield — just as the defensive lineman crushes him — to Demarcus Robinson near the sideline. The play essentially sent defensive teammates Eric Berry, Justin Houston and Marcus Peters into hysterics.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Very similar play structure to the post to Robinson, but a different formation. Whole read from the right hash to the left sideline. Scramble rules initiated after Mahomes didn't pull the trigger within structure, still leads to a big opportunity. <a href="https://t.co/lXF9hMdc9J">pic.twitter.com/lXF9hMdc9J</a></p>— Kent Swanson (@kent_swanson) <a href="https://twitter.com/kent_swanson/status/1006027951521984512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2018</a></blockquote>

2. If the Chiefs had any inclination that Mahomes would be overwhelmed if he had to play as a rookie, it was squashed by this moment in Cincinnati. It was a run-fake to the left, then a naked bootleg to the right, but the 6-foot-6 and 275-pound end was neither blocked nor fooled. He had an open run at Mahomes’ chest, and this should’ve been a throwaway in the best scenario, a sack in the most likely, and a turnover in the worst.

Instead, Mahomes stiff-armed the end and threw a 23-yard fastball to the tight end between three defenders and the sideline.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Perhaps my favorite play of Patrick Mahomes in a Chiefs uniform so far, was a play he made vs. the Bengals in the preseason. <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMahomes5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chiefs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chiefs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArrowheadOne?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ArrowheadOne</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a> <a href="https://t.co/JLVd3GDwpB">pic.twitter.com/JLVd3GDwpB</a></p>— Ladner Morse (@Laddiemorse) <a href="https://twitter.com/Laddiemorse/status/1008870080329940992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2018</a></blockquote>

1. This is jaw-dropping enough on its own — two pass rushers closing, one of them knocking him to the ground, Mahomes throwing off his back foot and against his body through a window that was not yet even open between three defenders.

The context takes it over the top: game-winning drive, in 17-degree weather, after already being pulled from the game up 14 points but asked to go back in once the third-stringers blew the lead in a moment everyone understood to be his dry run for the QB1 job the following season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chiefs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chiefs</a> SMH sandlot Mahomes. A 25-yard throw to his WR who is surrounded by DEN DBs off his back foot while running backwards... <a href="https://t.co/Twe0HqFQn2">pic.twitter.com/Twe0HqFQn2</a></p>— Steve Frederick (@SportsGuyTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsGuyTweets/status/947888369551462401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>

Oh, and a bonus throw, just because this was the one former GM John Dorsey mentioned on draft night two years ago.

Seriously, who does this?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is the roll left, flick it deep play from Patrick Mahomes that Chiefs GM John Dorsey just mentioned. <a href="https://t.co/LJaFY04fc1">pic.twitter.com/LJaFY04fc1</a></p>— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/mellinger/status/857807988408582144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2017</a></blockquote>

This story was originally published August 27, 2018 at 12:37 PM.

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