Patrick Mahomes made his prime-time debut in his team’s 27-23 come-from-behind victory over the Denver Broncos Monday night, giving fans across the country their first chance to see – and hear – from the young quarterback lighting up scoreboards across the league.
“I know there was a lot of people that tuned in to that game and I’m glad we got to come out of it with a win,” Mahomes said.
The Kansas City Chiefs emerged with the win largely due to the fourth-quarter performance of Mahomes. The Broncos broke away from their traditional approach and used different blitzes and looks designed to confuse the young quarterback. That trick worked for three quarters, but eventually Mahomes found his way to making game adjustments with the help of head coach Andy Reid.
“That’s something that in college you didn’t necessarily have to do as much, but here you have to make them because defenses throw unscouted looks out there,” Mahomes said. “For us, we just have to get on the same page and figure out those looks and then make adjustments to make our plays work.”
When Mahomes comes to the sideline, Reid always meets his quarterback to get feedback on the flow of the game.
“He always asks me what I am seeing out there, what’s going on out there,” Mahomes said, “and then he asks what I’m kind of thinking, and then he shows me what he is thinking, and we get on the same page.”
Reid says he’s done the same with other quarterbacks. He handled Donovan McNabb the same way in Philadelphia, and later managed Alex Smith in a similar fashion when he first arrived in Kansas City. The communication, he believes, allows Mahomes to better understand the offense and anticipate what might come next.
“I’m able to give him a little bit of a heads up on maybe what I’m thinking going forward,” Reid said. “He gives me an idea of what he likes or sees and we’ve just got to put it together and go with that.”
Mahomes gets his next test Sunday with a visit from Jacksonville. The contest pits two teams many believe rank as the top two contenders in the AFC. Andy Reid said the Jaguars don’t have many weaknesses.
“You can start right up front and go all the way to the back end and everything in between,” Reid said. “They’re a good football team.”
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill has plenty of respect for the Jaguars secondary.
“This is by far the best defense we have faced,” Hill said.
Mahomes knows he faces the No. 1 scoring defense and the league’s top pass defense in the Jaguars.
“For us, they have a ton of talent over there, but we’ve got to utilize our offense and our weapons and try to do what we can to attack them,” Mahomes said.
The signal-caller drew more attention to himself with his performance against the Broncos, but Reid doesn’t see Mahomes paying much attention to the hoopla.
“I don’t know, I haven’t asked him the question, but maybe he does, but I know it surely hasn’t taken away from his preparation,” Reid said.
The coach credits that to the quarterback’s temperament and personality, which stood out to Reid even during the lead up to the 2017 draft.
“When you do that the right way and all whatever noise outside it, you’re not oblivious to it, but you’re not worried about all that,” Reid said. “You’re worried about getting ready to play a good football team. He’s kept great focus on that part and I wouldn’t expect anything different that’s just how he is wired.”
Despite his impressive play, his voice drew almost as much attention as his on-field work. Mahomes has a distinctive voice that has drawn a wide range of comparisons, such as Grover from “Seasame Street.” Reid, who apparently does a pretty decent impersonation, describes it as “froggish.”
Mahomes found himself amused that so many people became fascinated with his voice.
“Yeah, because I’ve done a lot of these,” Mahomes said, in reference to his weekly gathering with the media. “At the same time I guess a lot of people hadn’t heard.”
Hill, who frequently perpetrates friendly jokes at the expense of Mahomes, said he wouldn’t weigh in on the distinct sound of his quarterback and Reid’s impersonation.
“I’m trying to get more targets, man, I’m not going to mess that up for me,” Hill laughed.
SERIES HISTORY: 12th regular-season meeting. Jaguars lead series, 6-5. The Chiefs own three straight wins over Jacksonville, the last coming in a 19-14 victory at Arrowhead Stadium in 2016. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone have met twice before when Marrone coached the Buffalo Bills, and the Chiefs won both those contests.
